Deadly Sins
by x-NeonQueen-x
Summary: Two feuding families, the Cullens' and the Moores'. What happens when there are two different groups of vampires living at Forks when Bella first moves? Will Edward's smooth charms still win her heart? Or will the mysterious Elijah ignite her inner most desires and steal her affection?
1. Chapter 1

**November 1995: London, England**

 **Carlisle Cullen's Point of View**

"Once you sign this treaty Carlisle, you and your coven will not be permitted to return to England, ever." William spoke; a sour look on his face. "You and your clan are not permitted more than one thousand miles of our family."

I wished that we could settle this feud between my family and William's. We had been close allies for years.

It was hard to believe that a mistake like this could cause so much damage. I would truly never forgive myself.

"I understand and solemnly swear to withhold the words in this treaty." Reluctantly I signed my name on the large document.

I couldn't shake the thought that none of this felt real. It felt like a nightmare. William was like my brother and I had truly grown to love his family. We had operated as one clan for such a long time, it was hard to believe that our family was split up.

"Now, today we are two separate clans, the Cullen's and Moore's." William spoke, now turning his attention to the group; standing around us. "Decide amongst yourselves, who you would like as your leader."

"None of us tend to leave Carlisle, we all support his choice." Edward spoke; he sounded annoyed, but his expression was masked with a look of indifference.

"Is that right?" Abraham snapped; I could see the rage in his eyes. He stood along side William with his arms folded tightly across his chest; he barred his teeth in Edward's direction. "I should have known that you would have to speak for everyone; since you have to spy on everyone's thoughts."

"It's not like I have the option to ignore it." Edward said with through a clenched jaw.

"Enough with the senseless fighting, it's clear that those that followed Carlisle before uniting with us; will continue following him. No matter how misguided his ideals are." Elijah spoke now. He stood the farthest from the rest of us, he avoided eye contact with everyone. "Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Edward. They will stay with Carlisle. Senika, Nichole, Brooke, Silas, Abraham and myself, will stay with William. Does that sound about right?"

I watched as it appeared that everyone was in agreement. I did notice a few of the women from William's coven give their farewells to Esme, but other than that… no one else seemed bothered enough to speak.

It broke my heart to see my family split up like this, but it would be best for all of us if we went our separate ways. William had different ideals… he looked at human life in a different way. Although we all preyed on the blood of animals… William always had a different plan, we where never on the same page.

Maybe we will meet again one day… and put our difference aside. At least that is what I hoped for.

 **Current Day**

 **Bella's Point of View**

It was my first day at Forks high school and I was relieved that my day was almost over. I met a few new people; that was kind enough to invite me to sit with them at lunch.

We sat at the end of a full table with several people. I forgot all their names as soon as they introduced themselves. The boy from English, Eric, waved at me from across the room.

It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them.

They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes. But it was none of these things that caught, and held, my attention.

They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big – muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair. Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond. The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students.

The girls were opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the _Sports Illustrated_ swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit on her self-esteem just by being in the same room. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. The short girl was pixie like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.

And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town. Paler than me, the albino. They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those eyes – purplish, bruise like shadows. As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their noses, all their features, were straight, perfect, angular.

But all this is not why I couldn't look away.

I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. Or painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful – maybe the perfect blond girl, or the bronze-haired boy.

They were all looking away – away from each other, away from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the small girl rose with her tray – unopened soda, unbitten apple – and walked away with a quick, graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed at her lithe dancer's step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible. My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unchanging.

"Who are _they_?" I asked the girl from my Spanish class, whose name I'd forgotten.

As she looked up to see who I meant – though already knowing, probably, from my tone – suddenly he looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps. He looked at my neighbor for just a fraction of a second, and then his dark eyes flickered to mine.

He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flush of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest – it was as if she had called his name, and he'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer.

My neighbor giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did.

"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." She said this under her breath.

I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy, who was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers.

His mouth was moving very quickly, his perfect lips barely opening. The other three instantly turned their sights in the direction of the cafeteria entrance; where six more students came in.

I was completely taken off guard by how similar this group looked to the first. They all had the same pale; chalky skin and dark eyes.

Out of these three boys, the one was the perfect showcase of power and strength. His stride was long and aggressive; while his expression was cocky. In a word he seemed conceited. Arrogant. As if he is defined by his status in life as being the apex of success with all of the money in the world in his bank account.

The other had the stocky build of a rugby player. I wouldn't call him overweight necessarily, but he was… plump, short… almost adorable… he appeared to be the youngest in the group. Personality wise, he appeared to look around the cafeteria with uncontrollable eyes. He seemed completely unhinged, like a loose cannon. The last one was the exact opposite. He was tall, lean and completely in control of himself. He had a certain mystique that surrounded his persona. Not to mention he was devilish handsome.

The three women, were incredibly beautiful; each in their own way. The first, had beautiful ebony skin; that still held a pale chalky pallor. Her movements where cat-like, the way her body seemed to slink, even the shape of her eyes; reminded me of a feline.

The other, was startling thin; she had a springy waltz, much like a ballerina. Her fiery red curls where pulled tightly up into a neat bon on the top of her head. A brilliant crimson red painted her lips; making her hair perfectly.

The last one stood out the most. Her honey blonde curls went down to her shoulders, but at the very tips of it was a candy pink. She wore the most makeup between the three of them and there was a hint of flirtatious nature to her. She noticed all the boys around the cafeteria swooning over her and would wave coyly at each of them as she passed. She clearly was loving the attention she was getting.

As the Cullen table made eye contact with the new group that entered the scene, I noticed that hostility became apparent between both groups. I could almost physically see the tension building as the newcomers took a table on the other side of the lunch room.

"And who are they?" I turned back to the table. "The group that just came in?"

The girl from Spanish class again was the one to answer. "That's Abraham Moore; the jock, Nichole Moore the red head and Silas Moore, the bigger dude. Brooke Jennings; the girl with the dreads. And the handsome one, Elijah Johns, with his sister Senika Johns; the girl with the pink in her hair." She whispered to me.

"Do they… know the Cullen's and the Hale's?" This might have sounded like a stupid question. It was so obvious that these two groups had a grudge against each other.

"That's understatement of the year." Another girl from the table replied; her nasally voice was like nails on a chalk board. Regardless I pushed for further information.

"They don't seem to be friendly with each other."

"They aren't, apparently Abraham's little sister, was Dr. Carlisle Cullen's patient. She died of cancer under his care… and Abraham and his group have been angry with the Cullen's and Hale's ever since."

"That's so sad," I muttered, allowing my eyes to wander over to Abraham's table. For a moment, one of the boys from the table turned to make eye contact. It was the beautiful one; Elijah. His eyes peered into mine; ensnaring me. I couldn't move an inch, my heart began to race. But as he quickly looked away I regained my composure and looked away; embarrassed.

Fork was turning out to be an interesting town after all.

 _ **I know I've attempted similar stories, but I've now corrected my thought process on how to write this story. This one will be updated every other day. Starting January 2nd, 2019.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Bella's Point of View**

After lunch one of my new acquaintances, who considerately reminded me that her name was Angela, had Biology II with me the next hour. We walked to class together in silence. She was shy, too.

Nothing could have prepared me for the events that followed next. Edward Cullen was mystifying and at the same time, he was absolutely terrifying. He sat rigidly beside me, both of his hands balled into tight fists. A hard glare was on his face even as he slipped a few glances in my direction.

This class seemed to drag on longer than the others. Was it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I was waiting for his tight fist to loosen? It never did; he continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn't breathing. What was wrong with him? Was this his normal behavior? I questioned my judgment on Jessica's bitterness at lunch today. Maybe she was not as resentful as I'd thought. It couldn't have anything to do with me. He didn't know me from Eve.

I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase if looks could kill suddenly ran through my mind.

At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making me jump, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly he rose – he was much taller than I'd thought – his back to me, and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat.

I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after him. He was so mean. It wasn't fair. I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled me, for fear my eyes would tear up. For some reason, my temper was hardwired to my tear ducts. I usually cried when I was angry, a humiliating tendency.

"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" a male voice asked.

I looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way. He obviously didn't think I smelled bad.

"Bella," I corrected him, with a smile.

"I'm Mike."

"Hi, Mike."

"Do you need any help finding your next class?"

"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."

"That's my next class, too." He seemed thrilled, though it wasn't that big of a coincidence in a school this small.

We walked to class together; he was a chatterer – he supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me. He'd lived in California till he was ten, so he knew how I felt about the sun. It turned out he was in my English class also. He was the nicest person I'd met today.

But as we were entering the gym I watched as Mike fumbled into someone. In a flash I watched as Mike was grabbed by his collar and hoisted up against the wall of the gym. The motion was so smooth, yet so aggressive.

There standing tall – in fact he was towering over me, Elijah Johns glared daggers into Mike as he held him tightly to the wall. "Watch where you are walking." His voice was so deep and rich it sent a chill down my spine.

Mike stuttered, his hands going up; as if to say 'I surrender'. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run into you." It was clear that he was completely rattled by this situation.

Without thinking I moved closer, putting a hand on Elijah's shoulder. "Please let him down. It was an accident." I spoke as gently as I could; in fear of angering him any further.

At the contact we had Elijah instantly let Mike go and quickly a mask of indifference came to his face as he turned his sights on me. "Getting in the middle of a disagreement is pretty reckless."

"Pushing a guy against the gym wall is pretty reckless as well." I frowned, raising a brow at him. "Someone could have gotten hurt."

Elijah paused; appearing to deliberate my words, before a hint of a smile touched his lips. "You have a good point, the name is Bella right?"

I folded my arms across my chest; not impressed with his sudden change in demeanor. "That's right and you are Elijah Johns."

"That's right," He turned to face Mike again, holding his hand out. "Newton, sorry about that, I lost my composure."

Mike hesitantly shook his hand; offering him a strained smile. "No problem."

"And thank you Bella, for stepping in when you did." I could see it now. Just for a moment I saw the genuine remorse in his eyes. But he played it off easily as he acted apathetic. "I usually don't… lose my temper so spontaneously."

Elijah frowned and turned his back on us to continue walking towards the boy's locker room. His strides where long and methodical; I took this moment to analyze him. Needless to say he was a very interesting man, it appeared that he may have a bit of a temper. Which explains why he appears to usually be so controlled and vigilant with this every movement and anything he says. It seems that it takes a bit more effort for him to keep himself under control.

Perhaps that was Edward's excuse for his actions in Biology. Although I wasn't so sure. As far as I could tell, there was nothing to set him off. I merely stepped into the room and sat down next to him… I hadn't spoken… I hadn't given him so much as a glance… so what could have possibly upset him? Edward appeared to be fighting something… an emotion… or even a feeling. I could read it in his body language, he was fighting to gain control over himself.

And Elijah had lost control over himself and was struggling to regain it. Both of these guys where a mystery to me. Why did they behave the way they do? I couldn't explain their reactions… it wasn't like a normal person… No one went around throwing guys into walls just for bumping into them.

I would get to the bottom of this.

 **There was some original Twilight works in this chapter and in chapter one. Since we are following the story line, I'm just fixing a couple things here and there for the first few chapters. Just to get the ball rolling in a certain direction.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing. I've personally read all the reviews so far. And one in particular is amusing to read. I won't say any names, you probably know who you are. Thank you for your critical eye on this story and others.**


	3. Chapter 3

Gym class had been a short burst of mild embarrassment, but thankfully I didn't inflict any injuries or sustained any myself.

I was relieved when the final bell rang. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself.

When I walked into the warm office, I almost turned around and walked back out.

Edward Cullen stood at the desk in front of me. I recognized again that tousled bronze hair. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free.

He was arguing with her in a low, attractive voice. I quickly picked up the gist of the argument. He was trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time – any other time.

I just couldn't believe that this was about me. It had to be something else, something that happened before I entered the Biology room. The look on his face must have been about another aggravation entirely. It was impossible that this stranger could take such a sudden, intense dislike to me.

The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling my hair around my face. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at me – his face was absurdly handsome – with piercing, hate-filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms. The look only lasted a second, but it chilled me more than the freezing wind. He turned back to the receptionist.

"Never mind, then," he said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help."

And he turned on his heel without another look at me, and disappeared out the door.

I went meekly to the desk, my face white for once instead of red, and handed her the signed slip.

"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally.

"Fine," I lied, my voice weak. She didn't look convinced.

When I got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. It seemed like a haven, already the closest thing to home I had in this damp green hole. I sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield blankly. But soon I was cold enough to need the heater, so I turned the key and the engine roared to life.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched in shock as the one girl - Senika; I think her name was. Elijah's sister. She came through the doors, her nose up in the air as a group of guys followed her; like a bunch of lost puppies. She played with a piece of her honey curls, clearly enjoying her entourage.

I was actually very grateful for women like her, the type that yearns for the attention from the opposite sex. Her beauty and flirtatious nature had all the boys at the school pinning over her. They barely noticed my new arrival. I'd much rather just blend into the background.

The other girl from their group came stomping over to Senika and her followers. In the cafeteria this girl had reminded me of a prima ballerina. Nichole was her name. Her graceful movements where now rough as she cut through the group; her eyes peered around to each of the boys with anger. Her expression was breath-taking, but terrifying.

The boys quickly dispersed, leaving the two girls alone.

Senika's expression turned smug as the other woman wrapped her arms possessively around her waist. I had a feeling Nichole had been envious. They walked closely together, talking with each other but I couldn't hear what they said. As they walked past my truck they both glanced at me for a brief moment.

They appeared indifferent, even as they paused to share a sweet kiss.

Was Senika and Nichole dating? It seemed deeper than that. Actually it seemed complicated. Why would Senika be so open to flirting with the boys in this school if she was in a committed relationship with Nichole? Or was it more of an open relationship?

So many thoughts spiraled around my mind. I've met so many people today, some more intense than others. The Cullens' and the Moores'. Probably the most interesting people I've ever witnessed… and very… strange.

I couldn't help but go over the information that I had gathered from my first day at Forks high. Dr. Carlisle Cullen, had been the doctor to Abraham Moore's littler sister. She died of cancer under his care; which caused the friction between both families.

Ok, I can understand that much. But this feud seemed so much deeper. The way they looked at each other… it was like they were ready to kill each other. A young girl's death is a tragedy but that sounds like something between Abraham and Carlisle. Why would it effect the others so much? Why did this drive both families to hate each other so much? There was more to this story, I'm sure of it.

But, the more concerning facts here was Edward. His irrational hatred towards me was unsettling. I don't know what I could have possibly done to him. It just didn't make any sense.

All of this deeply upset me, even though I knew it shouldn't matter. What do I care if Edward despises me? Regardless I felt my eyes sting as I headed back to Charlie's house. I fought the tears the whole way there.

Although as I parked my truck in the driveway I recalled my encounter with Elijah. The ill-tempered boy that had unreasonably pinned Mike up against the walls in the gym. I remembered his dark, menacing scowl pointed towards Mike. To a passerby you would have thought that Mike Newton was his sworn enemy. But that wasn't the case, he had a lapse in his control. He openly admitted that to us. In fact he was remorseful and apologized. I wasn't sure how I felt about him yet. He was far more approachable than Edward Cullen, but did that mean I should attempt to approach him?

Why would I want to? I knew that it would be a pointless endeavor. From how the people at my lunch table put it, neither the Cullens' or the Moores' talked with anyone. They kept to themselves. It was clear that they didn't want questioned.

But I had questions. And he had answers. I wasn't sure if I had the courage to face Edward again, at least not for a while. So maybe Elijah would be a safe beginning to my understanding of him and his family.

What was I saying? He looked to be seconds from beating up Mike just for walking into him. What would his reaction be if I was to just start talking to him? At the very least it seems that he doesn't wish to lose his temper with anyone, he doesn't already hate me. Like Edward.

So that settles it, I'll talk with Elijah tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Carlisle's Point of View**

The moment I walked through the threshold of my home; I took note of the three invaders that had been waiting there for me. Abraham, Elijah and Silas. To say that I was completely surprised to see them here was an understatement. This is physically the closest I've been to them in many years. It was a bitter sweet moment, I'd missed my estranged sons.

"We tried to make them leave." Rosalie said with a scowl on her face; she kept her arms folded across her chest. "They are here to talk with you."

The rest of my family all stood in the living room as well; watching our guests with discomfort and tension filled the air.

"What a nice surprise, please make yourselves comfortable." I gestured for them to take a seat on the couch.

"Don't mind if I do." Silas was the first to move; moving to flop down on the couch, a wide smirk on his face. "It's a nice place you got here Carlisle." He let of a content sigh, as he patted his bulging stomach. "I wouldn't mind some blood, got any on hand?"

"Silas," Abraham scowled him. I knew Abraham wasn't about to move a muscle. Elijah stood the farthest away, leaning against the wall. He made no move, he seemed to be in his own world.

Esme smiled towards Silas kindly. "I'll get you some." She offered before disappearing from her spot next to Rosalie.

Rosalie watched her leave with a look of annoyance.

"We aren't over here for small talk tubby," Abraham barked at Silas before turning his sights on me. "Carlisle I know that we are currently in a truce with our treaty. But if your son can't keep his bloodlust under control we are going to have to step in and do something about it."

I watched as all the eyes in the room now flickered to Edward.

"Eddie lost control… there is a first for everything." Emmett snickered to himself. His words brought a few glares in his direction; including Edward's growl.

But as Esme reentered the room with a cup of blood; everyone looked away as Silas greedily chugged it.

I turned to Edward; waiting for his explanation. But the look on his face was painful to observe. He looked completely mortified and hatred clouded his eyes. Was it hatred towards our guests… or was it self hatred.

"Did something happen?" I looked to the others. Clearly Edward wasn't ready to speak about this situation right yet.

My eyes went to each of them starting with Rosalie and Emmett. "All I know is Edward almost killed someone. He was seconds from completely losing it." Rosalie responded with a dark look towards Edward. "I saw him leaving the school right after Biology class… he looked like he was about to kill the entire school."

I looked to Alice and Jasper next.

Jasper was the first to speak up. "I don't know the details, but I felt a strong bloodlust coming from Edward. When he is around a certain human girl, he seems to lose control of his thirst when around her." He replied. "That girl was in his biology class. Her emotions suggested that she was completely terrified."

That wasn't like Edward, his self control rivaled my own. He wasn't usually one to struggle with his control. There was no doubt in my mind that this girl must be his singer. It was a rare and dangerous occurrence when a vampire finds their singer. Most vampires when first meeting their singer… wouldn't have been able to walk away… the fact that this human was still alive was incredible. His restraint was to be admired.

As if responding to my thoughts Edward shook his head, his hands balling up into fists. "No Carlisle, I just barely was able to resist her. What I did shouldn't be admired. I almost killed a room full of innocent lives… just for a drop of her blood."

"But you didn't." I said with a frown coming to my face. "Don't ignore the fact that you did something that not many others could have done."

"The point however is Edward is to much of a danger to be around this girl. He either has to get in control of himself or we will have to take care… of this girl." Abraham said locking eyes with mine.

"And what do you mean… by taking care of her?" Rosalie snapped, now marching over to Abraham with a glare on her face. Growls where tumbling from both of their mouths as they stared each other down.

"Children," Esme reproached with a stern look coming to her face.

I watched in surprise as they both took a reluctant step back, reacting to Esme's authority.

"We will turn her." Abraham said looking to each of us. "If Edward can't resist his bloodlust, he either needs to avoid her completely or we will have no choice."

"That's not your call to make." Rosalie growled at him, appearing to get even more angry. Emmett quickly went to her side; wrapping his arms around her waist.

"She would be better off dead." She hissed at Abraham.

"Death is pointless, all it will do is cause pain to everyone around her. Think about her parents. Now to give her a life free of sickness. To give her an eternity of youth and beauty. That's giving her a gift." Silas spoke up, finishing the rest of the blood from his cup.

"This way of life isn't luxurious, it's full of pain and loss. I would have thought you would be the one to understand this. You lost everything when Nichole turned you. She ripped all your happiness from you." Rosalie sneered towards Silas.

Silas turned to her with a growl bubbling in his thick chest. "The closing of one door, allows another to open."

"Rosalie has a point, we could terminate her life easily, clean. No one would suspect any of us. We can't afford Edward slipping up." Jasper shrugged his shoulders.

Alice frowned at him, but didn't speak up.

"No, Bella Swan is not going to die. And she isn't getting turned. Edward needs to leave." Elijah said, although he didn't bother making eye contact with any of us. "I would say all of you should leave, but unfortunately we need you all… so we can find William."

He was right. There was no way we would be able to track down William unless we all worked together. William disappeared a year ago and with Abraham stepping up to take charge of his family decided to find us… he didn't know any else to turn to. Even with William and myself in a feud… there was no way that I could refuse to help. William was my brother, we went through our transition together. Him and I had gone through hell and back and I wouldn't let this fight between us hold me back from reaching out and finding him.

I turned to Edward, watching his expression. "What do you say Edward, would you be willing to take a little vacation? Just until we can figure out what to do? Perhaps you can work on your control… and find the strength to resist her blood."

"There is no hope Carlisle… there is no way that I can fight off my bloodlust… not with her… I'll leave. To Denali."

"No, you won't leave Forks." Abraham snapped, his demeanor turning aggressive. "With your abilities to read minds… it's our best way of finding William."

"He is right Edward," I responded, moving to touch his shoulder. "I'll work with you on this… we will work on your control… build up your tolerance… it will be a constant battle… but it's not impossible. Take some time away from school."

Edward's expression turned emotionless, but he nodded. "Fine," With that, he completely left the room. Apparently that was all he could handle for the moment. It was clear that he was ashamed of himself, I wanted nothing more than to ease his pain… but I knew that he needed space right now.

Rosalie was fuming, her sights still on Silas. However as Silas now stood, a mask of joyfulness on his face he moved to Esme and gave her a one armed hug. "Thanks for the blood, you take it easy mother."

Silas appeared to be the only one to begin warming up to us, it was a small step but it filled me with hope that maybe we could all be a family again one day.

Esme hugged him tightly before letting him go, a smile on her face.

Silas gave Abraham and Elijah a sheepish grin as he passed them, heading out the door. "I'm starving, I'll be out hunting. Meet you guys at home." He threw over his shoulder before disappearing.

Abraham rolled his eyes, annoyance clear on his face. "We will keep in touch, Elijah will be speaking with Bella, making sure that she isn't suspicious of us. I'm sure she is a bit confused by Edward's reaction to her. If she is already suspecting that we aren't normal… we will have to decide on her fate."

"If she becomes a problem, the only option we will have will be to either move; which I don't want to do. Or kill her." Rose said with narrowed eyes.

Jasper and Emmett seemed to be agreeing with her.

"No, she will be turned," Abraham argued, flashing his eyes to Elijah. "Right Elijah?"

Elijah snorted, folding his arms across his chest, ignoring him and everyone else.

Alice spoke up for the first time in this meeting. "I've had a vision… of Bella being turned. I do think that's the best option."

It seemed that if this matter was put up to a vote… Rosalie and Emmett would be the only ones wishing to kill Bella. Jasper would no doubt agree with Alice; even against his own wants. As for Esme, she would no doubt support what ever choice that I made. I wouldn't kill an innocent person… ever… so that only left the option of turning her. I prayed that it wouldn't come to that.

Bella Swan's future shouldn't be decided by any of us. But if it was forced to be voted on… it looked that she would be turned.

As Abraham and Elijah left, I noticed Jasper sending waves on content to each of us. I clung to the feeling, needing a bit of clarity in this moment.

William, I wish that you were here. I won't stop until I find you.

 **Leave a review if you want me to continue updating.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Bella's Point of View**

Waking up in the morning I was greeted by dark storm clouds and hard raining beating against my bedroom window. The sound was like nails on a chalk board, it absolutely ruined my overall mood for the day. Would I ever get used to the doom and gloom of Forks Washington? I yearned for the heat of Arizona, the crunch of gravel under my feet.

I forced myself up out of bed, beginning my daily routine. With some deliberation I laid out my nicest outfit. I usually just picked the first thing my hands touched in my closet without much thought.

Today was different.

Making my way to the bathroom I glanced towards Charlie's room. I wondered if Charlie was still home. Just to be sure I locked the bathroom door.

As I turned the shower faucet on; letting the water heat up I slipped off my pajamas. I looked at myself in the full length mirror. I wasn't the most interesting girl to look at, I wasn't hideous but I wasn't anything special. I wasn't like the gorgeous Rosalie Hale and I didn't have the irresistible charm of Senika Johns.

I was Bella Swan, thin, ordinary… frankly unimpressive. But I would do something today that scared me. I would do something that no one else at school has ever done. I was going to confront Elijah Johns. And if I gathered enough courage I would confront Edward Cullen as well.

Stepping into the shower; the scorching water fell against my skin, it was soothing. I closed my eyes letting the water cascade down over my face. I could have stayed in here all day but I quickly lathered myself up; using my favorite strawberry body wash and shampoo. I cut the shower short, only staying in for about fifteen minutes.

As I stepped out and dried off I wrapped my towel tightly around myself and cautiously unlocked the bathroom door. I peaked out into the hallway, making sure that Charlie wasn't out there.

I didn't want to risk the chance of an awkward encounter. I didn't have to concern myself when I was living with Rene, but now that I was living with Charlie I had to be careful.

Stepping back into my room I closed the door. The temperature in the room had changed drastically. It had been toast warm when I had left for my shower and now it was freezing. I turned to the window, noticing that it was slightly open.

Strange. Was it open when I left?

I pulled the window down, goosebumps traveled up my arms and legs.

As I went to my bed to where my outfit sat I was stunned to see my top was missing. I scanned the floors, under my bed, I even looked back inside my closet. My top was no where to be found. Where could it have possibly gone?

This morning was turning out to be strange.

I decided on a new top and quickly got dressed; I chose a navy blue long sleeve shirt. It hugged my body perfectly; which made me a bit self conscious. So I slide on my black vest in hopes of hiding a bit more of myself. My black denim jeans where also form fitting, but the outfit went together so well that I didn't bother changing. I was beginning to run out of time any way. I actually had done pretty well with my clothing today, I was a little proud of myself.

I applied a bit of makeup; which I normally never did, so I wasn't sure how well I did with it. When I looked at myself in the mirror once more I didn't recognize myself. As I brushed out the tangles in my hair the girl in the mirror seemed to turn into someone pretty… confident… maybe even sexy. Now if only I could feel these things myself.

I had officially ran out of time to do my hair, so I hastily threw my hair up into a neat bun, a few stray strands of hair fell but I ignored it as I slung my coat on and made my way down the stairs.

Somewhere half way down the stairs I tripped, but ended up catching myself on the railing. A chuckle sounded from the bottom of the stairs - Charlie had been waiting for me, a grin on his face.

"You're just as graceful as I had remembered." He said as I made my way down the stairs. I paused to offer him a labored sigh. "Hey Ch-dad… I didn't know you where still here."

"I was just on my way out." He said, pulling his coat on. "You look… very nice today Bells." His voice was a bit strained as he glanced at me, then away.

Embarrassment lit my face; my cheeks felt a bit warm, but I attempted to ignore his compliment.

"Thanks," I said awkwardly, before clearing my throat. "I was going to ask you… I had a shirt lying out on my bed that I was planning on wearing… When I got back from my shower it was gone." Charlie followed me, listening intently. "I was just wondering if you came into my room today."

Luckily the rain had nearly stopped, it was just sprinkling now. I pulled my hood up in an attempt to stay dry. I detested getting wet, it was worse because it was also cold outside.

"Nope, I've been up for a while going through some reports. Did you check around your room for it? Maybe it fell under your bed." He said as he turned to lock the front door of our house.

"I looked everywhere, it didn't turn up." Deep down I knew this must not have concerned Charlie very much. His teenage daughter misplaced a shirt, it wasn't vitally important. Maybe I was making a bigger deal out of this than I should have.

But then again, my window was also open when I came back. "And my bedroom window was open." I added.

He frowned slightly, reading my expression closely. "Do you think someone came in through your window? And stole your… shirt." He raised a single brow, his mouth appeared to tighten, as if he was attempting to hold his seriousness.

"I don't know, maybe… I left it open…" But I knew that wasn't the case. I know I didn't leave the window open. I moved to my truck now; knowing that Charlie wasn't taking this seriously.

Charlie gave me a slight smile, and gestured over to where my bedroom window was. A grand tree stood right outside the window, the branches grew out all around it. One particular branch stopped right at my window; just barely touching it.

"If someone was to attempt to break in just for your shirt… they would have to climb this tree; which is significantly high, balance themselves on a single tree limb to just reach the window." He explained, walking to his police cruiser. "If the intruder took your shirt my guess would be that it was a woman. Why would a man want a woman's shirt? So do you believe that some woman came by the house, climbed up this tree and entered your room… just to take a shirt and leave…?"

I pouted, feeling incredibly stupid for even mentioning any of this to Charlie. He was chief of police, he had such a critical view on things.

"Yeah, your right," I let the conversation drop. "I'll see you later." I waved to him as I got into my truck, letting the door slam.

"Have a good day Bells," He called out to me before he got into his cruiser. I let him leave first; watching as he backed out of the driveway and sped away.

I shook my head; clearing my mind before turning the key in the ignition.

The truck roared to life, the steering wheel vibrated in my hands as I began down the driveway. With one more meaningful glance to my bedroom window I headed towards school.

 ** __ TIME SKIP__**

It didn't take long for me to arrive, even with the limited speed my truck was able to accelerate to. Finding a parking place was another story. I circled the parking lot twice before I found a spot. I had wanted a parking spot close to the entrance, because of the few patches of icy that formed randomly throughout the student parking lot. But because of how late I ended up being all the close parking spots where full. I ended up carefully pulling between a fancy, brand new red BMW and a peal white Hummer. Both vehicles looked expensive, it made my truck look like a pile of scrap metal.

I couldn't help but make a face as I got out of my truck; cautious with how far I opened my door. Who could afford cars like this? I didn't even see nice cars like these in the teacher parking section.

No matter, there was more important things to worry about.

With a good look at the ground I tried to dodge the icy patches as I made my way to the front of the school. If I didn't pay close attention I would end up falling on my face. I wasn't prepared to get completely embarrassed, it was only my second day. I could only imagine the attention this would bring.

There were only a few students in the parking lot, so if I was to fall maybe it wouldn't be to humiliating. When I made it half way to the front of the school I had a mini celebration in my head.

That's right, you're almost there. Just a little further.

That's when my luck decided to run out. My foot touched down on a small patch of ice and I felt my leg fly out in front of me. I closed my eyes tightly, preparing myself for the impact to the ground, so when I felt someone gently catch me my eyes flew open in alarm.

And there stood the man that I planned on confronting. Elijah Johns.

"You seem to lack a lot of coordination." His deep voice brought chills down my spine; just like it had yesterday, when we first met. His English accent was attractive, so smooth and elegant. How did I fail to notice it yesterday?

He let go of me, taking a step back for me to catch my breath.

"Elijah, as charming as ever." I replied, attempting to calm myself. My heart was racing in my chest, most likely from the pure adrenaline of my near fall.

To my surprise Elijah cracked a smile. "Ill have you know, many girls in this school find me very charming."

"Have they ever actually spoken to you?" I raised a brow as I straightened myself up, continuing to make my way towards the school.

He responded with a throaty chuckle, a smirk coming to his face. "You are by far the most interesting person I've met."

I shook my head, choosing to ignore him for now, if I didn't put my entire attention to my feet, I would be falling again.

Elijah noticed and let out a sigh, offering his arm. "Here, I'd hate to see you end up falling and breaking something." His smile seemed genuine.

Hesitantly I linked my arm with his, the moment we made contact I felt a spark of electricity fly down my arm. The feeling was startling, I looked up to his face; wondering if he had felt it as well.

His face was completely blank of emotion, if he did feel something he didn't show it. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I had been paranoid this morning.

As we walked through the rest of the parking lot I noticed several students standing near by; staring towards us. Some of them looked shocked and others appeared envious; as I received scowls from a few random girls.

Maybe this hadn't been a good idea.

The moment we made it to the door I pulled my arm away from him; causing the constant flow of electricity to fade away, leaving me feeling more empty than I had felt before.

"I'll see you around." Elijah bowed his head to me, a hint of a smile on his face. He turned and walked away, heading to his next class; leaving me flustered.

I ducked my head; avoiding the ogling of everyone around me and quickly went to my first class.

I couldn't relax until I made it inside the classroom and to my seat in the back of the room. There was a few whispers bouncing around the room, I couldn't help but think they where all talking about me. Did everyone see Elijah and I together? Where they already spinning a juicy story about us? If I had known that I would become the best piece of gossip in the school I would have refused Elijah's help.

As Mr. Masen began his lecture a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle to whisper to me. I had remembered him from yesterday. Eric. He was one of the guys that I sat with at lunch yesterday.

"Hey Bella, how are you doing today?" He offered me a kind smile.

I smiled tentatively. "I'm alright, how are you?"

"Can't complain, I just… couldn't help but ask you…" He paused, a hint of embarrassment painting his face. "I heard you and Elijah Johns… we seeing each other…"

I shook my head quickly. "No, no way." I whispered to him quickly. "Why would you think I was… seeing him?"

A look of relief came to his face now and a wide smile spread across his face. "I just saw you two walking in together. I thought maybe…"

I cut him off. "No, he was just helping me make it across the parking lot. I'm not really… used to walking on ice." I could feel my face beginning to turn red as a few students around us turned to glance back in our direction.

"Right, that makes sense." He nodded, letting himself chuckle quietly. "You know if you ever need help like that again, I'm here for you. Since we go to the same class I could walk you here." He offered.

I should have realized where this conversation was going.

"Thanks," I sighed letting the conversation stop there.

As nice as Eric seemed, I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. Maybe I should try to distance myself a bit. The next thing I'll have to worry about is some kind of twisted story about Eric and I. This small town gossip was killing me.

I pretended to listen closely to the lecture, in an attempt to stop any further discussion with Eric. Even as the bell buzzed; signaling the end of the class I quickly got up and made my way out the door, not bothering to wait for Eric. I just wanted to get to the next class and avoid any more speculation from my classmates.

When I made it to the next class I was about to let out a sigh in relief, when a sweet voice sounded from behind me. I turned slowly to see Senika Johns practically skip over to me, a seductive look coming to her face.

"Good morning Bella," She greeted me. For a flash of a second I swore that she had winked at me, but I assumed that my eyes were playing tricks on me.

It had been one of the most confusing days I've ever had. Maybe I shouldn't have even came today.

 **Leave a review if your enjoying the read.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Bella's Point of View**

The way that Senika was looking at me made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. Her ember eyes watched my every move, a flirtatious look on her face. No doubt she was very beautiful, her honey blonde hair stopped just at her shoulders, the ends a soft pink. She dressed like she was about to walk down the runway for some kind of trendy fashion show.

She sat at the desk in the front of the room, I sat just behind her. Mr. Jefferson hadn't showed up yet to class, so this gave her free time to turn around and talk with me. I hadn't expected this and to be completely honest, she was beginning to draw unwanted attention our way.

"So, how are you liking it here in Forks Bell-Bell?" She fluttered her eyes at me slightly. "You look stunning today, by the way."

My face was boiling hot now. "T-thanks, erhm." I cleared my throat, forcing myself to keep eye contact with her. "Forks is a pretty interesting place."

She chuckled, leaning forward just slightly to look deeply into my eyes. "Are you… interested in… me." Her tone was almost hypnotic.

I raised a brow at her. "Don't get me wrong, you're wonderful, but I'm not interested in girls. In fact I'm not interested in anyone."

Senika frowned, appearing to freeze in her seat. For a moment she appeared to intensify her concentration on my face. She was focusing so intently she hadn't even noticed that everyone was now staring at us. "Are you sure?" She mused.

I nodded, ducking my head in attempt to hide from our staring classmates. "Yes I'm sure."

Something flickered in Senika's eyes and for a second I thought she looked furious. But she masked her emotions quickly. "No one has ever… been immune to my charms." She muttered, studying my face. "You really are… _something_."

What did she mean by that?

"Besides… aren't you and Nichole… dating?" I hoped that this would throw her off topic and to my relief it appeared to work; Senika snickered.

"Hell no, Nikki and I have a… history… but our relationship is completely platonic now." Senika explained, before turning her attention towards the door.

Seconds later, Mr. Jefferson walked in.

"Sorry I'm late class," He began with a heavy sigh.

"No worries Anthony," Senika spoke up with a suggestive smile. "I mean… Mr. Jefferson." She added quickly.

Was there no one in this school that Senika Johns didn't flirt with? Not to mention how reckless it would be for her to flirt with a teacher. She could get this poor man in a lot of trouble if something was to happen between them.

Mr. Jefferson's face appeared to turn red, but he didn't reply to her. He simply went to his desk and began to sort through his lesson plans. Did something already potentially happen between them already?

I pushed the suspicions away, I didn't want to get caught up in whatever Senika's web of emotion destruction. From what I saw yesterday, Nichole seemed to genuinely care for her… and not in the platonic way that Senika was suggesting. Was Senika clueless or did she truly have no empathy for those around her? Did she manipulate everyone around her purely for her own gratification?

Mr. Jefferson's lecture seemed to go on forever. I pretended to jot down notes, but I ended up doodling in my journal. I wasn't interested in government, how could I be with all the thoughts jumbling up in my head? I thought back to my strange morning. My bedroom window being left open, my shirt missing. And then there was Elijah… The thought of his name brought a tightness in my chest.

Who was Elijah Johns? What made him such an angry man? What really caused the Cullens' and the Moores' to hate each other? Was it really just the fact of a girl dying of cancer under Carlisle Cullen's care? Or was there more to this story? Was there something deeper? And why did I care to search for these answers?

Wouldn't it just be easier to mind my own business?

But there was something about all of this that didn't sit right with me. Something about the Cullens' and the Moores' was begging for me to find my answers.

I hadn't noticed that I had dozed off into space until the bell buzzed on the wall at the front of the room; causing me to jump.

"I'll see you all tomorrow class," Mr. Jefferson said closing his book, but his eyes landed on Senika now. "Miss Johns could you stay back for a moment?"

"I'd love to Mr. Jefferson." Senika offered him an innocent smile.

I got up; mildly disgusted.

They wouldn't… there is no way… Senika isn't actually pursuing our government teacher, is she? I shook the thought away and quickly got up, following the rest of the students out of the room. I didn't turn back around, in fear of seeing something that I didn't want to see.

Senika was young and beautiful, why would she waste her time flirting with older men… that was likely married with children. It didn't make sense to me. Was she really so desperate for all the attention?

The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. Excluding Senika John's advances of course. After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks. I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot.

One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish. I remembered her from yesterday. She walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. I recalled her name only as Mike Newton flagged us down.

"Jessica, Bella, how are you ladies today?" His big blue eyes were appealing and his baby faced smile warmed my heart. Although his presence seemed more significant to Jessica than to me.

"Hey Mike," Her eyes danced with interest as he came to walk in between us. He wrap a arm around each of our shoulders. "I hope they aren't serving meatloaf today."

Jessica responded with a vibrant laugh. Jessica was tiny, several inches shorter than my five feet four inches, but her wildly curly dark hair made up a lot of the difference between our heights. Mike and her really did look good together.

As the three of us got into the lunch line I couldn't help but scan the room; in search for the Cullens' and the Moores'.

I spotted the Cullens' at their usual table, at the opposite end of the long room; from the table I would be sitting at. My eyes studied each of their flawless faces; that's when I noticed that someone was missing from their group.

Edward Cullen. Where is he? I searched the quickly filling lunch room in hopes of spotting him, but to no luck. Had he stayed home today? Did it have to do with me? No. It couldn't possibly be because of me, I didn't do anything to him.

Upset, I snatched my lunch tray, grimacing at the options. I settled with a salad and a bottle of water. Jessica and Mike waited for me; so we could walk together to their table.

Just like yesterday it was the same seven people, they seemed to have warmed up slightly to me; as they threw me a couple polite greetings. One of them however, stayed silent. She had silver blonde hair and big round fish-eyes. I noticed that she stuck particularly close to one of the guys at the table; as if she was guarding her territory.

The girl that I had walked with to Biology class, offered me a kind smile. "I was meaning to ask you. How did you rest of your day go? You seemed like something was bothering you leaving Biology yesterday."

I looked to her, studying her expression. Great, someone else noticed that as well?

She has light brown hair and soft brown eyes. She had a very gentle disposition and just speaking with her yesterday she appeared to She respects other people's space.

"Oh, I was just getting tired, yesterday was a long day." I lied and just like I had thought, she didn't look as though she believed me, but she let the conversation drop.

Once I was sure everyone at the table was completely distracted with their own conversations I took this moment to look over to where the Moores' had sat yesterday.

They all sat incredibly still, not eating, not talking. They stood out in a lunch room that was full of students walking around, laughing and munching down their meals. The Cullens' mirrored them.

The only one between the Cullens' and the Moores' that seemed normal. And that was Silas Moore. He sat at his table; slouched and stuffing his face with not only his food, but the other's food that sat at the table with him. His movements lacked control as he greedily snatched food of each of their plates.

The sight of him, sent a pang of nausea to hit me.

He sure had… an appetite.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the ebony skinned goddess stand from the Moore's table, her empty tray in her hands. She appeared annoyed, but as if sensing her distress Abraham, the boy that sat closely beside her turned to watch her. His hand went out giving her a tap on her butt. She shot him a look of amusement, her previous emotion melting away before she turned away and went to return her tray. She left the room.

From the other end of the room, one of the Cullen girls also stood. Her tray was still full with untouched food. I attempted to recall her name, but it didn't come to me. She moved gracefully, her short spiky hair bouncing with her each stride. Soon, she was leaving the room as well, right behind the girl from the Moore table.

Where they leaving together? Did they plan on talking in private, or was it just coincidence? If the Cullen's and the Moores' truly didn't speak… why would two of them leave the lunch room together? Was I just searching for things that weren't there?

There was something that was bothering me though. Edward Cullen didn't come to school today. I had wanted to speak with him. I wanted to demand to know what his problem was. But at the very least I could talk with Elijah. At least some of my questions would be answered.

But how was I going to get him alone? We only shared one class together and it was gym class. The girls and guys stayed separate. This means I would have to speak with him after class. Would he even want to speak to me? I had to try.

I waited patiently through lunch, walking with Mike and the shy girl that sat with us at lunch to Biology class. They talked briefly, I pretended to follow their conversation; smiling and nodding along. But my mind was spinning with everything I wanted to ask Elijah. I planned out the conversation in my head over and over.

When we reach the classroom I looked to the desk that Edward and I had sat together in just yesterday. He still wasn't there. He really didn't show up. With a heavy sigh I went and sat down.

For a moment I recalled Edward's furious gaze on me. His eyes were as black as coal. His body was so tense beside me. A shiver rolled down my shoulders at the memory.

Focus. It wouldn't be long now. Just two more classes.

 **How are you liking the story so far? Leave your thoughts.**


	7. AN

**Author's Note**

For those reading and enjoying the story, thank you for your kind PMs and respectfully critical reviews. I'm posting this author's note just to highlight some minor issues and answer some questions you may have.

For starters, this piece of writing is purely created for the enjoyment of the readers, it isn't to be dissected and scrutinized as if it was a real published novel. I welcome helpful advice and respectful criticism. However I don't appreciate rude or hateful comments - about how I chose to write my story or what direction I chose to take it.

Anything offensive will be deleted.

I spend hours at my laptop every day, working hard to create each chapter. When I'm finished I feel proud of what I've accomplished, so when I am greeted with harsh analytical views for each and every chapter it makes me feel like I should just give up the story… And that's wrong.

So, with all that said, please feel free to share your thoughts and feelings, share your ideas or offer advice. If I've made a mistake tell me. But anything that crosses the line, will be deleted.

 _PS. If you think this story 'Isn't good' please feel free to stop reading and reviewing each chapter. It's a waste of your time. And I can do without that negativity in my life. I'm a full time college student, with a full time job, writing is the only enjoyment I have in life. Don't ruin that for me._

 **I'll be updating this story 01/07/19.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Carlisle's Point of View**

Monday morning started off, interesting. To say the very least. Elijah had stopped by briefly, before heading off to school - he dropped off an article of Bella Swan's clothing. Just the scent of her, seemed to cause a reaction from Edward. Even as I held her top in my hands Edward shrank back away from it, moving to the other end of the room. His expression was full of torment and agony.

It was worse than I had thought.

"Why are we doing this?" He appeared to be taking shallow breath; overly cautious with each breath.

"I'd like for you to keep this, her scent is saturated in this top. Over time you can build up a tolerance. This is a safe alternative to being around her, of course when you return to school and must be around her blood it will be much more intense." I explained, holding the shirt out to him. "Keep it with you."

Hesitantly, Edward moved forward taking the shirt, lifting it to his face and inhaling sharply.

His reaction to her scent, it reminded me of when Edward had first been turned. He didn't always have such excellent self control, he struggled. But it has been a long time since I've seen him this unhinged.

"Bella Swan," He laughed dryly. "She will be my undoing." He grumbled as he ripped a piece of the shirt and put it into his pocket.

"I'm sorry that you must endure this pain," I sighed as I gathered my things from my desk. "If under normal circumstances we would have just simply left."

Edward frowned, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have wanted to leave, even if it was an option. I don't want to run away, like a coward."

"Although, the initial feelings of cowardice would have been better than risking this human's life." Edward and I now walked out of my office and out to the garage.

Today my son would be shadowing me at work. I would be exposing Edward to a lot of temptations and testing his resolve. There would be no real danger to anyone, not with me at his side. We would rebuild Edward's control and hopefully give him the confidence to return to school without risk. In the next few days it was going to be hard on Edward.

But if anyone could do this… it was Edward… his self control rivaled my own. He could do this, I believed in him.

If Bella Swan's blood had to tempt anyone… she was lucky that it had been Edward. If it had been anyone else… Emmet… _Jasper_ …

Bella wouldn't have survived this long.

 **Bella's Point of View**

My heart was racing in my chest as I stood rigidly at Elijah's locker. Biology and gym class had crawled by slowly, but now I was second guessing myself .

What would I even say to him?

Hi Elijah, I couldn't help but notice the entire school holds your family and the Cullens' in such high regard, why is that? Sure you all are very fascination and nice to look at… but what was this feeling a got when I was around you and Edward? Why did Edward look at me with so much hatred?

I had been so deeply in my own thoughts that I hadn't noticed that I wasn't alone.

"Bella Swan, what a surprise." Elijah's voice caused me to jump and turn fast in his direction.

My face warmed as I made eye contact with his piercing golden eyes.

"I wanted to… talk to you." I said lamely, unable to think clearly under his gaze.

"That's quite a coincidence, I wanted to speak with you as well." There was a hint of a smile touching his lips.

I swallowed, giving him a hard nod. "Can we go somewhere to speak… more openly?" At my words I noticed a few students that passed by us turn to watched between us.

Was it curiosity? Or where they just as surprised as I was that I was speaking to Elijah so casually in the first place.

"Of course, follow me."

I was shocked that so far everything was going according to plan. We walked in silence. I couldn't help but peak at him, he was so tall. Quietly I analyzed the muscles in his back. Impressive.

Don't get yourself distracted.

Turning the corner we walked into the library and took a table in the very back. It was private, quiet and no one was around to bother us. It was the perfect place to gather information.

"Well, how about you go first, I sense you have some questions for me." Elijah leaned back in his seat, his eyes searching my face.

"How could you possibly no that?"

"It's written all over your face," He raised a brow, chuckling faintly. "You are an open book I'm afraid."

I scowled at him, taking offense to his words.

Rene had always said that, she referred to me as her open book. It was one of my many humiliating flaws.

"The word around the school is… your family aren't fans of the Cullens'." I commented, waiting to read his exact reaction.

His expression didn't falter. "Actually hate would be a stronger word."

It didn't appear that he was holding back anything. I respected his honesty.

"Do you mind me asking why that is?" I pressed.

He shifted in his seat. "There are several reasons, but everyone has their own personal reasons. I can't speak for the rest of my family."

"So why do you hate the Cullens'?"

"That's a very long story," He warned me.

"I have no where else to go,"

"At one point, our families lived together in peace. Carlisle was - of course, the head of the family, with his wife Esme. Carlisle's brother William adopted me and the rest of my family. While Carlisle adopted the Cullen group that you know of today." His eyes seemed guarded as he spoke. As if being very careful of what he said and how it might translate to me.

"Carlisle and William where strikingly different in their views of the world. Carlisle admired societies weaknesses, while William wanted to eliminate that weakness. They both care about people, but have different definitions on saving people."

"What do you mean by saving people?" I responded with curiosity dancing in the pit of my stomach.

"They are both doctors and worked exclusively together. They bumped heads on nearly everything that had to do with the well-being of their patients."

"So this is not quite as personal, you dislike the Cullens' because of something that happened between William and Carlisle. Not because they have done something to you personally?"

"I hate the Cullen's," He was quick to correct me. "Because they betrayed William. No worse. They hurt William in the worse possible way. William is the closet thing I have to a father. And I'll never forgive the Cullens' for destroying his life… so carelessly." He words were growing cold. I could see his rage building inside of him.

Without thinking I lightly touched his hand; that he had lying on the table between us. The coldness of his skin took me by surprise, but it was the sharp electrical current that zapped my skin that made me jump.

He looked into my eyes, appearing troubled. However I saw the anger fading from his face as I pulled his hands away. He hid them under the table, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry if my questions brought back some uncomfortable memories… I had no right to invade your privacy like that." I shrank back, reluctant for causing him pain.

"No, it isn't your fault in the slightest," He seemed to begin building up a wall now. He was on the defensive. "I'd prefer that you kept this between us."

I nodded quickly. "Of course, I won't breath a word."

"It's really a shame… about Abraham's sister." I let my eyes drop to the table.

Elijah let his hand drop down hard on the table; hard. The sound caused me to jump and the anger was back again in his expression.

"What do you know about Abigail?" His voice was cold now.

"Was that her name then?" I should have been afraid, the looks he was giving me right now, reminded me of Edward's dark death stare. But I couldn't find it inside of me to be afraid.

"Answer my question."

"I was told, that she had been Carlisle's patient… and she ended up dying under his care." I spoke as gently as I could. I didn't want to make him any more upset, I saw first hand how violet he gets when angered.

My words seemed to calm him, but only slightly. "Yes, Abigail was like a mother to me… to all of us." He looked away from me. "She was warm… and brave. A lot like you in that aspect. She was William's wife. And our adopted mother."

Now things where beginning to make sense. His family blamed Carlisle for this woman's death, at the same time also held the rest of the Cullens' accountable because they must have stood by Carlisle.

"Was there really anything different that Carlisle could have done for her… cancer is a hard thing to overcome."

"There was still one option left, he could have saved her life. But he chose not to. He chose to let her die." Elijah said, his entire body was tense. His jaw was clenched shut tightly. "And the rest of his family… they just stood back and let him make that choice. They are just as much to blame as him."

I frowned.

This new information sounded like only part of the story. Perhaps hearing the other side of it would benefit for me to make a real judgement. I couldn't fairly agree with him, not knowing the whole story. But I at least now understood why there was so much animosity between the two families.

"Do you think, Abigail would want that… the two families to be divided and hating each other?" Maybe I was overstepping my boundaries, but I couldn't stop the words once they fell from my lips.

Elijah paused, his eyes going soft, but he kept his tone hard. "Let's change subject, I have questions of my own."

I nodded, releasing the breath I hadn't known that I was holding. "Alright, fair enough."

"Yesterday, I heard that Edward Cullen was being particularly rude towards you during Biology." He started; his body language changed, but I couldn't read him now. "Do you know why that is?"

"Actually I was hoping you could answer that question for me." I responded. "I was going to ask him what his problem was today, but he didn't show up."

"Edward is a lot like Carlisle, so if I could offer you advice… stay away from him. I don't want to see another wonderful person get hurt because of that family."

I felt my cheeks getting warm at his compliment, but I didn't allow that to distract me. "That doesn't answer my question."

"Well I can't be sure what his motivation would be to attempt to scare you, but he does this often. Have you noticed that most of the girls in this school are silently swooning over him? Do you ever wonder why none of them approach him?"

"Yeah I did notice that." I myself frown. "He was trying to scare me?"

"Yes, it was most likely an attempt to keep you from getting close. He usually attempts to make those around him uncomfortable, just to keep people from entering his personal life. Strange man, isn't he?" Elijah mused.

If that had been his intention it had the opposite affect on me. His coldness and anger only brought on questions. I detested mysteries. If Edward Cullen wanted privacy and space, he could have done it differently.

But something bothered me. His anger… it really felt like it was personally directed to me. As if I had done something.

"Strange, yes. But it also sounds… very lonely." I sighed.

It all sounded unlikely to me. But for now I'd accept his explanation until I could confront Edward myself.

Without warning Elijah stood, bowing to me. "As much as I enjoyed our little chat, I have to get going. My siblings are waiting on me."

"Of course," I said quickly standing as well. "Thanks for talking with me."

He cracked a slight smile, but didn't reply as he turned and walked away.

For a moment I paused at the table, thinking over the conversation.

Interesting.

 **Thoughts?**


	9. Chapter 8

**Bella's Point of View**

It's been a week now and Edward Cullen hadn't returned to school. I had mixed emotions on how I felt about that. I was becoming accustomed to the empty desk at Biology, so on Friday when I entered the classroom and saw him sitting there I felt my jaw drop open.

I froze at the door; I didn't even realize that my abrupt stop caused Angela to bump into me.

Mike let out a heavy sigh at my side. "Cullen is back, great." His tone was thick with sarcasm. He walked; appearing disappointed as he went to his seat.

"Are you alright Bella?" Angela spoke to me quiet, in her usual shy voice.

I couldn't help but let a frown come to my face. "Yeah, perfectly fine." I said not meeting her gaze. She let the conversation drop as we went our separate ways. She went to her seat and I cautiously went to mine.

The moment I got within reach of Edward, his entire body tensed, but his expression stayed surprisingly light.

So he wasn't acting like a mad man today? Was Elijah right, had he only been acting that way to scare me off. As if I was like the other girls, pinning for his attention. I wasn't sure.

"Hello," I almost jumped at his smooth voice. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. My name is Edward Cullen, ." His tone was stiff; almost awkward. Was he straining himself… just to make small talk with me?

"Yes," I replied lamely, pretending to turn my attention to Mr. Banner; who was about to begin his lecture. But I felt words begin to tumble off my lips. "I see you have finally returned."

He paused, long enough for me to peak at him. Waiting for any indication that he was listening. His eyes gazed into mine; it was now clear that his eyes had changed. The day we met, his eyes had been as black as coal. Today his eyes swam a pure light golden brown. What had caused such a change? Was it even remotely possible?

"Yeah, I took some time off, personal reasons." His lips twitched, only one side of them curling upward - As if listening to his own private joke.

Mr. Banner began to pass out the assignment, he briefly explained the procedure and when everyone had their equipment and everyone had their questions answered, he commanded us to begin.

"Ladies first," Edward offered, cautiously moving the microscope towards me. The microscope was battered; looking ancient. And the box of slides that came with it; didn't appear in the best shape either.

I looked through the scope; recognizing it quickly. I had done this lab before.

"Prophase," I spoke with a confident nod.

"Do you mind if I check it?"

I shrugged my shoulders. It was slightly annoying that he thought I had made a mistake in my observation. As if it was his intellect alone, that held all the true answers.

He slide the microscope back over in front of himself; only to look at it for mere seconds. He nodded. "Prophase," He agreed.

Without a thought I went to pick up the next slide, the same time that his hand went out to do the same. When our hands made contact I felt an electric pulse bit my finger tips and sprint up my arm.

I jerked my hand away, looking to see his reaction.

Had he felt that to?

His expression didn't give anything away. He only muttered an apology and continued to take the next slide and put it into place under the microscope.

Maybe I was the only one to have felt that?

"Anaphase," He spoke, not bothering to wait pause, he wrote the answer done on our assignment sheet.

"May I?" I said holding my hand out to retrieve the microscope. I couldn't pass up the chance of possibly correcting him, if he had made a mistake. He had such confidence in himself, so much so that I just wanted to show him, I wasn't dumb either.

His eyes flashed to mine; mildly surprised and with a crooked smile, he slid the microscope over to me - this time careful not to let our skin make contact.

Eagerly I looked into the eye piece only to get hit with disappointment.

He was correct.

"Slide three?" I muttered, not bothering to take my eyes off the microscope. I didn't want him to take it from me and decide to do this assignment all on his own. No doubt he believed that he held all the answers. I would take part in it and show him that he wasn't the only one who was good at Biology.

To be completely honest science had always been my favorite subject of study. I had been in the advanced science class in phoenix. Biology and Literature. I had a passion for both.

I played with the idea of college for a while. What would I choose a degree in and what would the end result be? If I was to follow a Biology degree, I'd be interested in… nursing maybe. However if I chose an English degree, I could become a writer or a journalist. I was very undecided at the very moment.

Edward and I continued the assignment until we had finished. We were the first ones to get done completely. Everyone else in the class seemed to be struggling slightly.

Mr. Banner checked over our paper and allowed us the rest of class to have free time. This gave me the chance to return to our previous conversation.

I turned to Edward, taking a deep breath of courage. "Did you get contacts?"

He turned with something like amusement on his face. "No,"

"Oh," I frowned. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."

My words appeared to have bothered him. His body tensed, turning more away from me. A glare coming to his face as he looked straight ahead of the class.

Was I getting to close? Was my personal questions making him feel uncomfortable. Like Elijah had said, Edward wasn't one for close and personal relationships. He wasn't interested in friendship.

If that was the case, why had he spoken to me first? Why did he humor our conversation? He didn't act like he was trying to push me away. He wasn't trying to scare me away. Why the sudden change?

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me.

"Not really," I answered honestly, instead of pretending to be normal like everyone else. I was still trying to dislodge the stupid feeling of suspicion, and I couldn't concentrate.

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.

"Or the wet."

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.

"You have no idea," I muttered darkly.

He looked fascinated by what I said, for some reason I couldn't imagine. His face was such a distraction that I tried not to look at it any more than courtesy absolutely demanded.

"Why did you come here, then?"

No one had asked me that — not straight out like he did, demanding.

"It's… complicated."

"I think I can keep up," he pressed.

I paused for a long moment, and then made the mistake of meeting his gaze. His dark gold eyes confused me, and I answered without thinking.

"My mother got remarried," I said.

"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed, but he was suddenly sympathetic. "When did that happen?"

"Last September." My voice sounded sad, even to me.

"And you don't like him," Edward surmised, his tone still kind.

"No, Phil is fine. Too young, maybe, but nice enough."

"Why didn't you stay with them?"

I couldn't fathom his interest, but he continued to stare at me with penetrating eyes, as if my dull life'sstory was somehow vitally important.

"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." I half-smiled.

"Have I heard of him?" he asked, smiling in response.

"Probably not. He doesn't play well. Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."

"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him." He said it as an assumption again, not a question.

My chin raised a fraction. "No, she did not send me here. I sent myself."

His eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand," he admitted, and he seemed unnecessarily frustrated by that fact.

I sighed. Why was I explaining this to him? He continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity.

"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy… so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." My voice was glum by the time I finished.

"But now you're unhappy," he pointed out.

"And?" I challenged.

"That doesn't seem fair." He shrugged, but his eyes were still intense.

I laughed without humor. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair."

"I believe I have heard that somewhere before," he agreed dryly.

"So that's all," I insisted, wondering why he was still staring at me that way.

His gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," he said slowly. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

I grimaced at him, resisting the impulse to stick out my tongue like a five-year-old, and looked away.

"Am I wrong?"

I tried to ignore him.

"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.

"Why does it matter to you?" I asked, irritated. I kept my eyes away, watching the teacher make his rounds.

"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself. However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get.

I sighed, scowling at the blackboard.

Thankfully the bell rung, allowing class to end. I had set out to ask Edward about himself and his family. And all we ended up doing was talking about me. How had that happened?

Edward Cullen was the first one to get up; gathering his things and flying out of the room before anyone could even shift in their seats to get up. I sucked in another big breath.

Why was Edward so normal now… I mean almost normal. He still had very strange tendencies. The way he would get tense and start getting angry. I could almost sense his control over his emotions slipping. And I didn't understand that at all.

Who are you Edward Cullen?

 **Thoughts?**


	10. Chapter 9

**Abraham Point of View**

The moment school ended I made my way out towards the student parking lot and out to my Hummer. Brooke was waiting for me, the moment our eyes met I felt my entire body relax.

She lightly touched my face; looking deeply into my eyes with a cat-like motion - seductive. Irresistible. From her contact I felt my powers slowly spiral around her. When I touched Brooke I could vividly sense her past. I saw it play right before my eyes. I watched helplessly to her past life as a human. The pain and torment she faced as she and her family worked under the control of a vile cotton farmer. To this day the picture of her, in slavery… it was horrifying.

Lightly I took her hands from my face, giving them a delicate kiss. "Please don't torture me with your past my love."

"Even after all my hardships I eventually found you. Even though I had felt hopeless. You gave me everything I ever wanted. Now I'm here for you in your time of need. We will find William." She smiled at me in a way that could have made my heart race - if it had been possible.

I pulled her into me close, resting my chin on the top of her head. "What would I do without you Brooke?" I muttered quietly, letting my hands play with her long braids that reached down her back.

"Excuse me, are we intruding?" A snide comment called from behind me.

I turned just slightly to Nichole and Senika - who approached us. Senika clung to Nichole's waist; a smirk on her face. "Let them have a moment, can't you feel that growing sexual tension between them?" She visually licked her lips.

Nichole rolled her eyes; her fiery red curls where a mess around her face. "Can we please just get going?

I shifted Brooke more to my side; leaving my arm around her waist. "In case you didn't notice, Silas and Elijah hasn't showed up." I sighed deeply.

Senika giggled at my words. "Well you know where Elijah is." She wagged her brows. "Stalking that Swan girl again, strange girl."

Now that she mentioned it, Elijah was acting off… when it came to Bella Swan. Maybe it was time to have a little talk with him. We weren't in this town to get comfortable among the humans. We are here to find William.

"Well, have you seen her? She does smell delicious." Another voice called from the other side of my Hummer. Silas finally made it over to us, eating a large piece of pizza.

I made a face at the disgusting human food. "Finally, what took you so long?"

"I needed to grab a snack." Silas grinned widely, wiping at his mouth.

Silas was the only vampire that I knew in existence that could eat human food. Well, actually he could eat anything. Any food, any object. His body would process it the same way that blood would. It fueled him and sedated his bloodlust. But Silas was always hungry. He would be stuffing his face her eternity and would never feel completely satisfied.

"Have you seen Elijah?" I demanded.

He nodded with a grin. "He walked that human to her hideous truck."

Nichole glared towards Silas, but didn't reply; turning away from the rest of us. He noticed and rolled his eyes, getting into the backseat of the Hummer.

Those two… had an extensive history.

"He is such a moron." Nichole scoffed, lightly curling a piece of Senika's hair around her finger. "Should I go retrieve him?"

I moved, opening the front seat door for Brooke. "Wait for my here dear," I gave her a light peck on the cheek. "I'll get him."

Brooke nodded with a timid smile, before crawling inside.

"Come on, we need to meet up with the Cullens' tonight, we are going into Oregon in search for William." I muttered, walking away from the group.

A year ago we began our search, the tension was so high between my family and Carlisle's clan; we conducted our search parties completely separate. The Cullens' searched through all of Washington, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. While we searched Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and California.

Alice had been watching William's future and the only thing that she could precisely pinpoint was the fact that William was in the western united states. There was only a few more states to search now.

After a year of searching, we realized that if we worked together we would be able to find him faster. The other's weren't willing to do this last year, but since it seemed that our families where beginning to get… _comfortable_.

This angered me. I didn't want anything to do with Carlisle or his family. But if I was going to find William, I needed them. For now.

I caught up with Elijah, who was just standing in the middle of the parking lot, watching as Bella left in his noisy old truck.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I barked at him.

He barely looked in my direction. "You wanted me to make sure that girl wasn't suspicious of us. That's what I'm doing." His tone was even.

"It's been a week now, you made it clear that Bella doesn't suspect anything, why are you continuing to follow her around?"

"That doesn't concern you, you focus on finding William and I'll focus on keeping our secrets from the humans."

"Elijah," I started, but as he turned to lock eyes with me I felt my entire body go still. His dark topaz eyes bore into mine with an intent concentration. Pain erupted in my mind.

I struggled to keep my expression blank; wincing quietly. "Stop," I demanded.

The pain went away, but lingered around my brain. His abilities where frightening and extremely deadly.

Much like Jane's powers, Elijah's ability could overload another's mind causing catastrophic pain - with human victims his powers can additionally cause memory loss, lack of consciousness or even death. He was a very dangerous individual and with his temper… he struggles to keep himself stable. He no doubt has the best control over himself out of the rest of us. Because he had no choice. If he was to give into his fury… he would be a monster.

William had helped him with his powers and truly helped him manage his temper. There was no doubt in my mind that Elijah wanted to find William just as badly as I did. But this Bella, was distracting him.

"Come on, let's just get going." He said simply, turning and walking towards the Hummer.

I let out an uneasy breath, following after him. It wasn't my idea to take the lead on finding William. If anyone could manage our dysfunctional family it was Elijah, but he refused. That left me the only one to take charge. But I didn't know what I was doing. It's been a year and I was only just now realizing that the Cullens' and the rest of us had to work together.

We only came to this realization because Elijah had spoken with me about the idea and persuaded me into this direction.

The moment we made it back to the car, I watched as all the chatter in the car went quiet. Elijah went into the backseat, while I got in the driver's seat.

"So, where are we meeting the Cullens'?" Elijah spoke nonchalantly.

"We are starting in Oregon,"

"Fine," He said blankly.

I couldn't read his reaction. But I was unnerved by his mannerisms. Did he know something that I didn't?

 **thoughts**


	11. Chapter 10

In the morning everything felt different.

I rose from my bed, feeling refreshed and light. It's been a long since I've felt that way. I really didn't think I would ever feel this way again since I decided to move here. But of course my high spirits ended as I moved to the window.

Snow was sprinkling the sky overhead, the roads covered in a thin blanket of white.

"Ew," I muttered to myself.

This was going to be a nightmare trying to drive in to school. The roads would be horrendous. Driving in this kind of weather was new to me. I was accustomed to the dry, dessert-like conditions of living in Arizona.

I was tempted to just stay home. But there was two big reasons why I couldn't let myself do that. Edward Cullen and Elijah Johns. And that was a stupid notion. I couldn't explain why, but I wanted to see them. Like I said, stupid.

Today I decided on warmer clothing and since I wasn't very confident on my driving abilities I would be leaving the house early today. Charlie had left early as well, he wasn't home when I got up. I didn't mind the solitude, it was a rare thing when I was living with Rene. I loved spending time with my mother, but I cherished my alone time.

Quietly I sat at the kitchen table; eating a bowl of cereal and chugging down a glass of orange juice. That's when I noticed a little sticky note attached to the table.

 _Be careful driving in today, Dad._

My heart warmed at his note; which I quickly tucked away in my pocket. I hadn't been expecting a note. It reminded me that Charlie and I really didn't spend much time together while I was growing up. It was true that we didn't know each other as well as we should. But the fact remains that he is my father. And this little note meant the world to me.

When I finished up breakfast I reluctantly headed out the door, pulling my hood up over my head as the snow began to fall faster and thicker. I could see my breath as I quickly got into the truck. Once I got it running I blasted the heater and waited for it to warm up enough for me to feel my hands.

I drove slowly and watched the road with caution. I had thought that I would have at least slid off the road a couple times; most of the cars that I had followed in to school appeared to slip and slid along the icy roads. My truck was handling the ice with ease, but I still held my breath until I made it safely to the school's parking lot.

When I got parked I let out an unsteady breath.

I made it.

But now I didn't want to get out of the truck. It had finally got nice and warm inside and I knew what the weather felt like out there. I checked the time and realized that I only had a few minutes to get in there or I would be late. It's a good thing that I had left early or I would have ended up being late for sure.

I looked through the parking lot, spotting Edward's Silver Volvo parked on the opposite side of the lot. Edward stood by it along with his family; they all appeared to be chatting casually. Across from them was Abraham standing in front of his Hummer; embracing Brooke; his beauty. Elijah leaned against the Hummer; appearing to be lost in thought.

I slowly got out of the truck; bracing myself for the icy burst of winter air to hint my cheeks. I instantly missed the heat of the truck. But I was overcome once again by how pleased I was that my truck had handled these unholy conditions. My eyes scanned over the body of the truck, down to the tires.

My heart squeezed as I realized that Charlie had put winter chains on them. He must have done that before he left for work. A smile came to my face and I felt just a pinch of tears fill my eyes. Charlie was just surprising me left and right today. It was incredibly thoughtful that he went out of his way like that. No wonder the truck faired so well.

I would have to do something for him, maybe I'll make him his favorite meal tonight for dinner.

Briefly I was lost in my own thoughts regarding the tires, when a high pitched squealing sound filled the air. The sound confused me, I quickly looked up to see a van coming straight for me. The air left my body instantly and my heart began to beat so hardly in my chest that it hurt. I shut my eyes tightly waiting to feel the impact… waiting for my life to end.

There was horrifying sound of bending metal and a flurry of intangible beast like snarls. I opened my eyes in bewilderment only to be met with warm topaz eyes. Elijah stood in front of me; while Edward stood faced the opposite direction; his hands deeply indented into the van.

He had stopped the van.

My body was trembling, I could barely stand on my feet. Thankfully Elijah had noticed, and caught me, slowly letting me slid down to sit. He crouched as well; his hands resting on my face.

"Bella, listen to me. Breath." His deep voice filled me with peace. "Nice and easy."

I listened to him, taking slow deep breaths. "H-how did you guys get over here so fast?" I stuttered watching now in horror as the van began to slide again; the back end of it heading straight for my legs.

Now Elijah moved, catching hold of the back end and lifting it slightly to move it away from me. Thankfully the van was no at a complete stop. But I couldn't even concentrate on that. They were fast getting here… impossibly fast. And they both where incredibly strong.

Where they even human?

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward turned to me, analyzing me from top to bottom. "You didn't get hurt did you?"

"I'm completely fine… thanks to the both of you." I breathed out. I could feel my cheeks getting warm as they continued to stare down at me. Their gazes were intense, but completely unreadable.

Elijah was the first to respond, putting his hand out for me to take it. "Can you stand?"

I nodded and tried to not appear eager to touch him again. He pulled me up to my feet, a concentrated look on his face. He looked to Edward with a raised brow. Edward responded by shaking his head.

It was as if they were having a private conversation just between the two of them.

"Who is going to answer my question? How did the both of you make it over to me so fast?" I said once more with some authority.

"Bella, we were standing right next to you." Edward offered with a puzzling look. The way he was speaking to me… I would have believed him completely; if I hadn't already seen him on the other side of the parking lot.

"No, you both were at your cars, across the lot." I argued coolly.

Elijah frowned grimly, folding his arms across his chest and turning away from Edward and I. He clearly wasn't going to be explaining anything. But I wasn't going to have that. I'd like to think that Elijah has been very honest with me in the past. Surely he wouldn't lie to my face now.

"Elijah," I started, but when his eyes met mine I could see that he was struggling to control himself. I could see the anger bubbling in his eyes and his hands balled into fists at his sides. Had I been the one to make him feel so angry?

"Bella, please give me a little space right now." He warned, taking a step back from me. "I don't want to hurt you. So please give me some time to process all of this. Then we will discuss the finer details. Is that alright?" He was speaking through a clenched jaw.

I nodded, wishing nothing more than to throw my arms around him and try to comfort him. It would have been the least I could do. He had saved my life. Him and Edward both.

"He is right Bella, for now let's please keep this all between us." Edward muttered.

Before I could reply I heard the obnoxious sound of ambulance sirens. I had just realized there were several other students calling out towards us; sounding extremely close. Had they all witnessed this wreck?

There was so much going on in my mind at the moment that I was at a loss for words. What the hell was going on with this town?

 **Thoughts ?**


	12. Chapter 11

**Bella's Point of View**

It took six EMTs and two teachers - Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp to shift the van far enough away from us to bring the stretcher in. Edward and Elijah vehemently refused theirs. I did as well, I was perfectly fine. Not a scratch on me. I recalled the events in order with startling clarity, Elijah had arrived first, he had tightly pressed me up against my truck; keeping me completely still. While Edward came just in time to stop the van.

I would have managed to avoid the humiliation if it wasn't for Edward letting one of the EMT's know to at least check my vitals to make sure I wasn't going into shock or something. So I was escorted by Elijah and an EMT over to the ambulance for them to briefly check me out.

It seemed like the entire school was out there, watching somberly as they sat me down inside the ambulance. Quickly the EMT began to take my temperature, blood pressure and pulse.

To make matters worse, Charlie arrived before they could finish taking my vitals.

"Bella!" Charlie yelled in panic as he recognized me sitting inside the ambulance.

"I'm completely fine dad," I sighed heavily. "Nothing is wrong with me."

He turned to the closest EMT for a second opinion, but I tuned them out. My mind was still trying to process this jumbled mess.

When they'd lifted me away from the car, I had seen the deep dent in the tan car's bumper — a very distinct dent that fit the contours of Edward's shoulders… as if he had braced himself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame…

And then there was his family, looking on from the distance, with expressions that ranged from disapproval to fury but held no hint of concern for their brother's safety. It was the same from Elijah's family. Although it appeared that only Abraham and Nichole seemed angry.

I tried to think of a logical solution that could explain what I had just seen — a solution that excluded the assumption that I was insane.

Once I was cleared to leave, I turned to Elijah; who had not yet left my side. His eyes searched my face. "Are you feeling alright?"

I nodded, chewing my lip as I held our gaze. "Yes, but I'll be a lot better once all of this is explained to me." I said quietly, to low for anyone to hear.

He gave me a hard look, but he shook his head; laughing without humor. "You are a stubborn woman, do you know that Bella?"

I lifted my chin up, keeping hold of my resolve. "Promise me, that you are going to tell me how all of this happened."

He paused, turning back to glance idly at his family. "I need time," He muttered, looking away from me.

"Ok, that's fine." I let it go, but paused as I hesitantly took his hand.

He snapped his eyes on me now, caution lighting in his eyes. He shifted his hand; as if to pull it away, but I held onto it fast.

"Thank you, for saving my life." I said, letting a smile come to my face. "You didn't have to do that."

His lips twitched, as if suppressing a smile of his own. "I'll never let you get hurt." Was all he said, before lightly letting my hand drop and turning to walk away.

Charlie came over to me warily, pulling me in for an awkward one armed hug. "Thank god you're alright, what happened?"

"I don't really know, I was looking at the chains you put on my tires one minute and next thing I know, the van was coming straight for me."

"I mean… you don't even have a scratch…" He said, looking at me from head to toe.

"Yeah I'm really lucky, that Elijah and Edward had gotten over to me so fast. They pulled me out of the way. It's really a miracle that none of us got hurt."

Charlie gave me a thoughtful look, but slowly a frown came to his face. "Do you want me to call Rene?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, no she doesn't need to get all worried for nothing, trust me dad.

He nodded with understanding. "Maybe your right," He sighed. "Well come on, I'll drive you home."

"Can't I just go back to school?"

"Are you sure that's what you want to do? Are you up for it, I mean?" He raised a brow.

I nodded, but paused as I noticed a small group of students lingering; watching me with looks of concern. Maybe I should go home, who knows how much attention would be pointed on me. Surely everyone would want to come and speak with me, ask me if I'm alright. And I just wasn't in the mood for that.

"On second thought I think I will go home," I paused, giving him a smile. "But don't worry I'll drive myself home."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, don't worry about me dad."

"Alright, I'll see you at home Bells." He gave me another warm smile, heading back to his police cruiser.

I sucked in deep breath, turning back to my truck. It was now that I realized that it was freezing. Quickly I hopped back inside my truck and turned the heater back on.

There was so much going on in my mind at this moment that I zoned out; waiting patiently for the truck to get toasty warm. I peered around the parking lot, recalling the events over and over.

Where was Edward and Elijah now?

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	13. Chapter 12

**Edward's Point of View**

The school day went by in a blur, Carlisle had set up for all of us to meet with the Moores' over at our house. We would all be discussing what our options are at this moment. Since Elijah and I had basically exposed ourselves to Bella Swan. There was no doubt in my mind that she wouldn't stop until she heard the truth. But there was no way that was happening.

The entire ride home, the charged silence did not lift. I parked my car in the big garage off the house; Carlisle's Mercedes was there, next to Emmett's big jeep, Rose's M3, and my Vanquish. Parked in the driveway was Abraham's huge white Hummer and Elijah's crimson Maserati.

I was glad Carlisle was already home - the silence would end explosively, and I wanted him to be there for it.

We all headed for the dining room; the Moore's already inside waiting on us.

The room was, of course, never used for its intended purpose. But it was furnished with a long oval mahogany table surrounded by chairs. Carlisle liked to use this area as a conference room.

With such a large group of diverse and strong personalities, sometimes it was necessary to discuss things in a calm; seated manner.

I had a feeling that the setting wasn't going to help much today.

As everyone took their seats around the table, Carlisle of course sitting at the head of the table and Abraham sitting opposite of him - the table stayed divided, the Cullens' on one side and the Moores' on the other.

Even in a situation like this, we still couldn't look past our differences?

I felt that I had been the one that was responsible for this, so it was only right if I spoke up first.

"I'm sorry," I looked to each and every person at the table. "I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless and I'll take full responsibility for what I've done."

"Let's not pretend that Elijah isn't also at fault here," Nichole snapped; her glare was pointed focally at Elijah. "He should be taking responsibility here as well."

"Right, so how are you two going to take responsibility for this?" Rose barked at us.

In this moment both Rose and Nichole seemed on the same wave lengths, their expressions mirrored each other.

 _There is only one thing we can do about this now. And you know it Edward._

Rosalie's thoughts where loud and full of venom. I don't think I've ever seen her this heated. Not since the day she was turned.

"Not in the way you're thinking." Working to keep my voice even, and calm. "I'm willing to leave town now, if it makes things better."

"No," Esme murmured. "No Edward."

I patted her hand. "It will just be for a few years."

"Esme's right though," Emmett said with a slight frown on his face. "You can't go anywhere now. We need to know what people around thinking around us, now more than ever."

"Not to mention we need you around to find William." Abraham spoke up, a hateful look on his face. He had been staring me down since I entered the room. Clearly he wasn't thrilled with the situation that I've thrown us into.

"Alice can catch anything big, besides her gift is far more superior to find someone than my abilities can."

Carlisle shook his head. "I think they are right Edward. The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none of us."

"And we aren't leaving Forks until we find William. So what other options do we have here?" Silas said, nonchalantly stuffing his face with popcorn. His eyes went all around the table. Who wants to sneak into her house and kill her in her sleep? Raise your hand."

I didn't know if he was being serious or if this was his poor choice in humor.

Suddenly Elijah slammed his hands down on the table, glaring daggers at Silas as he stood from the table. "This isn't a joke." He shouted, I could visually see him beginning to lose control over himself.

Everyone at the table flinched, except for Carlisle, Jasper and myself.

Rose drew back some of her anger as she responded to him. "Yes, and who said that Silas was joking about this? Can you think of a better option?"

"Yes, we tell her the truth," Elijah said with anger in his eyes. "And turn her, when she is ready."

"What makes you think that is something she wants?" Rose snapped at him with a glare.

"I bet she would prefer being turned than just being killed." Senika shrugged her shoulders, playing with a piece of her curly blonde hair. "Not to mention, having someone with her abilities would only benefit us."

"What do you mean by abilities?" Carlisle said looking to each of us.

"Well, as you know I thought it was weird that I couldn't read her mind." I said with a frown coming to my face. "So I asked some of them to attempt to use their powers on her as well. Senika's ability to attract others, was unsuccessful. Abraham could not read her past. And Elijah refused to try using his powers on her, but I can only imagine that it won't work either."

"How bizarre," Carlisle looked puzzled. "You believe that she has some kind of ability already?"

"Actually, we have confirmed that." Abraham said with a somber look on his face. His eye darted to his wife seated next to him. "Brooke was able to detect her abilities. Apparently she has a very strong mental shield. Anyone with abilities that alter the mind or invade the mind are ineffective."

"That makes her an even bigger threat." Jasper spoke up, however he didn't make eye contact with anyone. He stared blankly in front of himself. Appearing lost in his thoughts.

I searched his mind, hearing his plans.

It took all I could to control my rage. I wouldn't let anyone harm Bella, I'd fight them all if I had to. It would more than likely result in my death, but I would keep this girl safe.

"We will not kill this girl." Carlisle spoke up after a long pause of silence.

"We can't allow the human a chance to say anything Carlisle. You _must_ see that. Even if we decided to all disappear, it's not save to leave rumors behind about us."

For the first time, it was Brooke to speak up. "Bella Swan is an innocent girl, with parents who cherish her and a full life ahead of her. She isn't fatally sick or on the brink of death. She merely was unlucky enough to move to a town full of vampires and witnessed something that she shouldn't have seen. Which wasn't her fault in the slightest. And just for that fact, you want to condemn her to death?" Her words where slow and concise. "I will personally not allow that to happen."

This appeared to not only shock her mate, that was sitting beside her, but a few of the others.

Brooke was usually so reserved, what ever Abraham said she willingly went with it. It was strange to hear the conviction in her tone and the intensity in her eyes. She felt strongly about this.

But now Jasper spoke. "I won't let Alice live in danger, even a slight danger." His eyes only flashed between me and Elijah. "That girl should have died today."

Elijah held Jasper's gaze now, a hard look coming to his face; that's when I saw his resolve slip.

 _Isabella Swan. She's more than just some human that I risked our safety for. I hadn't acted on saving her life for no reason. I'm falling in love with this girl. Can you not feel my emotions?_

Elijah glanced at me, his eyes narrowed. _I'm aware of your feelings as well._

Jasper must have began sampling Elijah's emotions; the look of shock came to his face at the same time anger filled mine.

Jasper's thoughts started. _I suppose it all makes sense now. He loves that human. He was saving her life… because he can't imagine life without her. I would have done the same for Alice if I'd been in the same situation. But this still is incredibly risky._

Alice turned to Jasper with a serious look. "Don't hurt her Jazz," She gave him an encouraging him. "Do you remember when I had that vision of her getting turned. That vision is getting more and more concrete. We are going to be good friends one day. I'm going to love her. Like a sister."

 _I won't deny Alice._ He let out a reluctant sigh and nodded. "Very well,"

"NO," I hissed with a glare coming to my face. "She will not be turned."

"That's not your call to make." Abraham spoke up with a hard look. "No one here wants to kill her."

Nichole shot him a dark look, clearing her throat. "Speak for yourself." She snapped at him coldly.

Rose nodded with her in agreement, but stayed quiet. She knew that Carlisle would never let that happen. She had just be wasting her time trying to convince the rest of us. But I knew deep down, Carlisle would never let that happen.

"So we leave Forks, get as far from her as possible." I felt my jaw tightening.

"I won't leave her behind. I trust her. I don't believe she will talk. When the time is right, I'll tell her about us. And she can make the choice, to be one of us or not." Elijah said with a resolved look.

"You will do no such thing!" I barked.

"I love her." Was all he said.

At his words the entire room went quiet. Everyone stared towards him, ranging from surprise, to delight, to horror.

I felt like I was going to explode. It was one thing to hear it in his mind, but to confirm it for everyone to hear I wasn't sure if I could handle much more of it.

I knew that I felt something for Bella as well. The moment I chose to save her life. The moment I knew the result of her death would bring me nothing but torment. She was the one. I wanted her. Not just for her blood.

Envy chewed at my very core, so much so that Jasper turned to gawk at me with mild confusion. I could feel him pushing a wave with a calming effect, but I forced it away.

"She doesn't deserve this awful life, she deserves to grow old and have children. She should live a happy normal, human life." I spit at them.

Senika growled at me, standing up with a dark glare on her face. Nichole quickly pulled her back; sitting her in her lap and holding her down.

"My brother deserves to be happy. And if this girl is his mate than you better leave them alone. It's no longer your right to make choices about this girl. She has been claimed."

Her outburst had been predictable. Senika had always been overly sensitive when it came to Elijah. He had been the one to save her from a cruel life and gave her life real meaning. She had been working for her mother; who owned the last operating brothel in France, 1920. Her mother sent her in to see the local doctor, for an abortion. Of course, William wouldn't have agreed to do it, but it was Elijah who stepped in and talked with her, helped her through it. She decided to kept her child and after complications during the delivery, William turned her to save her life. Thanks to Elijah she had a daughter and son, who was now in their eighties and a huge family of grandsons and granddaughters.

"I… have feelings for her as well." I spoke quietly, but I knew that they all heard that loud and clear. The only one that didn't seem surprised was Elijah.

"It sounds to me like this situation is more complicated than I first thought." Carlisle said with a heavy sigh.

That was an understatement.

But I wasn't selfish, I didn't want to risk Bella's safety. I didn't want to be in love with her. I wanted her to have a normal life. Why didn't Elijah think the same way. If he really did love her than why would he want to ruin her life? Why would he want to put her through all the agony and pain of eternity?

Emmett and Silas now sat back with loud booming laughter.

"So what, now we are dealing with vampire tug of war over this human?" Emmett said with a look of amusement to his face. He briefly imagined Elijah and I pulling at both of Bella's arms. Both of us ripping them from her body.

No, I wouldn't fight with Elijah over her. It would only hurt her. I was here to protect this woman, not fill her life with drama and torment.

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	14. Chapter 13

**Bella's Point of View**

Today had been… stressful to say the least. So much so that as soon as I made it back home I decided to go to bed. I would just take a little nap. The mystery of Edward and Elijah had my mind in complete disorder. At this point I was beginning to get a migraine. Thankfully it didn't take me long to doze off and fall into a deep sleep.

That was the first time that I had dreamt of Edward Cullen and Elijah Johns.

 _I was standing in the center of an opening in the woods. The ground was coated in crisp white mounds of snow. The sky glistened with sparkles of white snowflakes. When it hit my face, I was surprised that I couldn't feel the coldness. Just at the edge of the tree line, stood Edward. His face was distorted with a mask of terror and fear._

" _Run," He scream towards me._

 _Confusion struck me; causing me to freeze in my spot. Suddenly I felt someone else behind me. A breath touched my neck. I turned just enough to see Elijah was the one standing behind me. His eyes were dark… almost black and his skin, glistened just like the winter snow surrounding us. He was absolutely breath-taking._

 _His one arm came around my waist, while the other went to my hair. He shifted my hair to the side to expose my neck. His deep voice rang smoothly in my ear. "Are you ready?"_

 _What was I supposed to be ready for?_

" _No Bella, run, get away from him!" Edward was now standing a few yards from us. Like Elijah his skin seemed to sparkle and glow. It was fascinating, but also startling to see._

 _I didn't know what to do, listen to Edward or let Elijah do whatever he wanted with me. I must have taken too long to decide, because lightly Elijah leaned down planting a kiss on my neck. I let my eyes close as a shudder ran down my spine._

 _The feeling was euphoric. I didn't dare more._

 _But the second time his lips returned I was shocked to see blood beginning to slide down my neck._

With a gasp I felt myself wake up. My heart was racing so hard in my chest that I could barely breathe. I sat myself up slowly, taking deep breaths in order to calm myself.

That was the strangest dream I ever had. I didn't know what to think of all of it. Maybe today's stressful events took a harder toll on my than I had thought. I glanced to the clock, surprised to see that it was past the time that Charlie should be home.

Quickly I got up and went to the window, but I couldn't spot his police cruiser.

That was odd.

He was usually never late, but maybe it has been a busy day for him and he has to work a little late. I'm sure I was just being paranoid' because of my bizarre dream, but I decided that I would call him. Just to make sure that everything was ok.

I snatched my phone from the nightstand and began to dial the number, but in the same moment the phone rang in my hands. I checked the number. It was Charlie.

Relief hit me and I answered it. "Dad, everything ok?"

There was a long pause before there was any answer. "Yeah, I just got a bunch of paperwork tonight, it might be a while before I make it home." His voice sounded off. His breathing was hard and labored. His tone sounded strained.

"Are you sure everything is ok, you sound… like you're in pain."

There was another pause, now longer than the first. "I'm perfectly fine Bells, just tired. Listen. Please don't wait up for me. I'll talk with you when I get home…"

"Alright," I sighed. But I had a nagging feeling that something was going on that Charlie wasn't telling me. Again I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid or if I should listen to my gut.

Charlie's end of the phone went dead instantly and for a moment I had the urge to call him back, but I decided against it. Maybe he was just tired. I decided to just head down to the kitchen and prepare some dinner for when Charlie came home.

Walking around the house; chills ran down my spine. It felt so cold… and way to quiet without Charlie here. I absentmindedly glanced out each window that I passed to the dark night sky. I turned on all the lights, hoping that it would bring some sense of comfort. I made sure to turn the TV on, just to fill the silence. I could almost pretend that Charlie was here; sitting in the living room watching the news.

With a big breath I pulled my hair up out of the way and began to fry up some fish and a few vegetables. I kept myself busy, listening to the mumble of the TV.

Everything is fine. Charlie just is working a bit late tonight. Of course he is tired. Don't think too far into it. Unfortunately it took no time at all for me to make up a plate of food for Charlie. I covered it and put it in the microwave. Quickly I jotted down a note so he would know to check the microwave for his dinner.

So what should I do now? There is no way I'm going to be able to sleep until Charlie comes home.

I took a plate of food into the living room and curled up on the couch.

I guess I'll just watch TV until he gets back.

" _In other news, the death total is only rising in the Seattle area as police are racing to find this alleged serial killer. The body count has reached to twelve deceased men and women, all found drained of blood. It has always been recommended to avoid walking the streets at night in Seattle, but they are beginning to set a curfew up until further notice for the Seattle area and their neighboring towns."_

At this news broadcast I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.

I would give Charlie another hour, before I decide to call him again.

At the moment I couldn't stand to listen to any more of this, I turned the channel to something else. Anything to get the screaming paranoia to quiet down. I attempted to throw myself into a medical drama and focus it. But my mind was spinning with questions and concerns. I only managed to wait for another forty five minutes before I raced to the phone and began to dial Charlie's number.

I listened intently, holding my breath.

Please answer.

When he didn't answer, I began to dial his number over and over, getting the same result each time.

My heart was beating hard in my chest and as a loud knock sounded from the door I let out a squeak and let the phone drop to my feet. I didn't bother moving to pick it up, instead I walked slowly towards the door.

"Who is it?" I yelled at the door.

"Elijah," A deep voice called from the other side of the door.

I let out a heavy breath and quickly opened the door. I was hit with so much relief when I saw his flawless face that my legs almost went limp. "W-what are you doing here… it's pretty late?" As thankful as I was that he was here, it was a bit strange to see him here. How did he know where I lived?

He paused before responding. "My car broke down just a mile down the road, this was the first house that I recognized. I figured I could use your phone."

"Oh, yeah sure… please come in." I allowed him inside.

He gave me a half smile and walked inside with a smooth movement. Quickly I retrieved the phone off the ground and walked it over to him. I already was beginning to feel better with him here.

"Is chief Swan always this late coming home?" Elijah said nonchalantly dialing the phone.

"No, he called a bit ago and said he would be coming home late tonight." I said chewing my lip. I was still really worried about him. "I'm actually kind of worried about him though, he sounded… different."

"Different?" Elijah raised a single brow.

"Yeah, out of breath… tired…" I shrugged my shoulders, plopping myself back down on the couch. "I just hope that he can make it home ok."

"Would you like me to stick around until he makes it home? It's not really… safe being home all alone."

I swallowed, feeling my face getting warm. "You don't have to."

"I know, I'm offering." He gave me a full smile.

How could I refuse?

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	15. Chapter 14

**Bella's Point of View**

To say I was thankful that Elijah had shown up would have been an understatement. Just him being here made me feel a little calmer. Just knowing that I wasn't completely alone here made the situation a bit more bearable. We stayed up well past midnight, chatting quietly back and forth and even as I continued worrying about Charlie I was put at ease with Elijah's presence. He made me feel safe, like everything was going to be alright and I had nothing to worry about.

We sat there in the living room; the only light coming from the TV. I turned the volume down to just a whisper; just enough to fill the silence.

For a while it was quiet between the two of us. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was comfortable. But with my mind racing with doubts and worries I found myself babbling on and on about random things. I wanted to keep myself distracted and this was the perfect time to get to know Elijah a little better.

"I never had the chance to thank you properly for saving my life." I said with a small smile.

"There is no need to thank me," Elijah said raising a single brow.

"Of course there is, you could have gotten yourself killed..." I paused, letting my smile slide from my face. "Although I'm not sure that is the case anymore."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I saw everything," I kept my eyes on his, getting lost only for a moment in his warm topaz eyes. "Edward stopped that van with his bare hands... and you lifted it up to stop it from crushing my legs."

Elijah didn't reply for a moment, he seemed to think over my words, his expression stayed light, but the intensity in his eyes distracted me.

Lightly, carefully his hand came out and gently rested on my knee.

"Bella, there are many things that I wish I could explain to you, but this is one of those things that I'm not at liberate to explain. Not yet, anyway."

"Why can't you tell me now, I at the very least deserve an explanation of it all."

"You deserve more than that, but please trust me." He paused, not breaking our eye contact as he lightly touched my cheek. "I will tell you, just not now."

My body ignited by his touch. Every itch of my skin warmed and sparks rolled over my body. I dizzily surrendered to him, letting myself get lost in his absolute perfection.

It wasn't fair that he had such a strong attraction about him, he was irresistible and I felt an inner hunger begin to boil hot inside of me. I wasn't accustomed to these feelings, so I quickly let my eyes fall from his angelic face. I couldn't hold myself together. To my disappointment he let his hand drop from my cheek, creating a feeling of emptiness consume me.

I looked up to meet his gaze. "Alright, I'll be patient and I'll trust that you will tell me everything..."

"Good," Was all he said, keeping a charming smile on his face. "I will never lie to you."

Why did he have to be so flawless?

After a while we continued talking back and forth, mostly about me; he would elude from any conversations about him or his family. I knew him and his family was very private, but I had hoped that he would be more open with me. But he had already done so much for me. Not only had he saved my life today, now he was here keeping me company until Charlie got home.

Which he didn't have to do either of those things.

"Why don't you like talking about your family?" I questioned, pulling a large blanket around myself.

I could feel myself getting tired the later it got. Even with my growing concern for Charlie, I still felt like I might fall asleep at any moment.

"My family isn't very interesting, I'd much rather hear about yours."

I shook my head. "We spent the whole night talking about mine, it's your turn to share." I argued.

His expression turned guarded, but he nodded. "Very well, what would you like to know?"

"Well," I chewed my lip, deliberating on what I should ask first. "Tell me about Senika."

"Senika?" His expression was of mild amusement. "Why her?"

"Well... I noticed that she is... really close with Nichole." I said, having trouble finding the right words to use. "However she is very open... with her enjoyment of the attention she gets from others."

Elijah made a face, letting his eyes roll. "She absolutely loves attention, she has a lot of issues from her past. It has left her... yearning attention and pleasure from those around her. She wants to feel adored by all, but doesn't have those feelings herself."

"What do you mean... she doesn't have those feelings... like she is incapable of actually loving someone?"

He shrugged his shoulders in response. "Senika seeks pleasure above all else. She doesn't love anyone... not like that. I don't think she ever will. The closest she has ever come to loving someone would be Nichole."

What he was saying was hard to understand. The idea of someone being physically unable to fall in love, but at the same time yearns for that more than anything in the world.

"Nichole is in love with her... isn't she?" I said quietly after a moment.

"Yes, deeply. Nichole has dedicated herself completely to Senika, she has accepted that the love of her life might never feel the same way. She will never leave her side." Elijah said with a sad smile. "Their bond is strong, none the less."

The amount of dedication that takes is unreal. I couldn't imagine what Nichole goes through, seeing Senika flirting with others... or worse... being intimate with others.

On the other hand, the more we talked the more entangled I got in my own thoughts regarding Elijah. I loved our conversations and how open he was being with me.

When he asked me to trust him... I did wholeheartedly.

As much as I enjoyed our talk, I could feel myself dozing off. At some point of the night I had fallen asleep, only to be woken up by a sharp ringing from the house phone. Opening my eyes quickly I realized that I was curled up into Elijah's side. The coldness of his skin brought a shiver down my spine, thankfully it appeared that he had fallen asleep as well.

He was sitting there next to me so still and silent that he almost appeared to be dead, if it had not been for the faint rise and fall of his chest.

I scrambled up to my feet and answered the phone, my heart pounding hard in my chest.

Please let it be Charlie.

"Hello," I answered, holding my breath with anticipation of hearing Charlie's voice on the other end.

"Miss, Swan?" The voice was rough and unfamiliar.

"Speaking,"

"This is officer Adams, from the police station here in Forks, I'm calling in regards to your father, Charlie Swan." The man on the other end of the phone was speaking so gently and so carefully that I instantly felt myself sinking to the floor. Fear was chewing at my chest as I clutched the phone tightly in my hands.

"Is he alright?" I managed to choke out. "He had called the house earlier and he had sounded... very off. He hasn't made it home yet..."

I must have been speaking loud enough to have woken Elijah, because he was now awake, standing at my side; he placed a hand on my shoulder with a look in his eyes that I couldn't read.

Was it pity?

"Unfortunately Miss Swan, your father was found at his desk tonight, deceased. I'm so sorry for your loss."

Tears began to fall now as the gravity of the situation struck me. I was unable to hold back my sobs. "W-what do you mean... d-deceased!" I could barely force the words from my mouth, let alone believe what I was hearing.

Elijah's arms where around me now at this point, but I felt completely numb.

"He was found around eleven twenty, one of our deputies had forgotten some personal belongings and had stopped by to pick them up... he had found Charlie... dead."

The pain bubbling in my chest was excruciating, I could barely breath, but I still forced myself to speak. "How did he... pass away?"

"It's undetermined at this time..." The man on the other end of the phone paused for a moment before continuing. "His body was completely drained of blood."

His words reminded me of the news broadcast that I had listened to about the serial killer that was in the area.

Did this mean that Charlie had become another victim to this deranged killer? Did someone... murder my father? The thought was to much for me to take.

It was quiet for a moment, I had lost control and was sobbing again uncontrollably into Elijah's chest. His arms went around me, holding me close to his chest, for a moment I felt his lips just graze the skin on my forehead. He didn't say anything, he just let me cry. It was only when the man on the other end of the phone cleared his throat, getting my attention once more.

"I know this is a troubling time for you right now, but we would really appreciate it if you would come down to the station and give us a statement, maybe answer a few questions. We want to figure out what happened and get justice for you and your father." He concluded.

"Yes of course, I'll make my way down to the station now." I said softly, wiping at my eyes.

"Thank you Miss Swan, see you soon." With that the phone went dead.

I let the phone fall from my hands and shakily I turned to face Elijah; feeling the tears roll down the sides of my face.

"I h-hate to ask anything more from you... you've already stayed here with me all night... but could I ask one more favor from you?"

He lightly touched my face with his hand, wiping at my tears with a look of sorrow. "I'll do anything for you Bella, just say the word."

"I just don't want to be alone right now... would you mind... riding down to the station with me?"

Slowly he nodded, pulling me in for a hug. I let my arms go around him and I hugged myself close. At this very moment he was the only thing holding me together at this point.

"Of course, you are in no condition to be alone right now, I'll drive you down." He spoke seriously.

"T-thank you."

Reluctantly I walked into the kitchen, getting a few tissues and stuffing them in my pockets.

Elijah helped me into my winter jacket and wrapped another big blanket around me as we got into his car. The weather outside was monstrous, I hadn't realized how bad it had gotten in the last few hours. The roads were coated in snow, the frosty winds bit furiously at my cheeks until I made it into his car.

It felt like my entire world was crashing down, it felt like I was in the middle of a nightmare that I couldn't wake from.

I squeezed my eyes shut a few times and attempted to wake myself up from this dream, but to my anguish I couldn't.

I wasn't dreaming. This was really happening. My father was dead.

I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to update! Nursing school is hectic and with many sleepless nights and hours of studying I haven't had much time to sit and write. I'll try to update more often.


	16. Chapter 15

**Carlisle's Point of View**

It was nearing 3am before Elijah arrived at the house, only him. The rest of the Moore's didn't come with him. He had called not long ago, letting us know that Isabella's father; Charlie was found at his precinct, dead. And by the sounds of it, it was a vampire that was the cause of it. We've been tracking the movements of this threat for weeks now, but it appears this particular vampire is very elusive.

"Why are you even here?" Rose was the first to speak up, a dark look on her face. She kept her arms tightly wrapped around her chest.

Elijah barely glanced towards her. "I'm here to talk about what happened tonight," His eyes scanned the room.

"Is Bella alright?" Edward spoke up, his eyes seemed clouded in concern.

"No, she isn't," Elijah muttered looking just as worried. "She is… suffering, that's why I'm here."

"Well, please tell us what we can do for her." I said, feeling a frown come to my face.

"I believe this string of vampire attacks have something to do with William." Elijah said, his tense stance was now shifting into a more relaxed position; although he appeared to be getting angry.

"What makes you think that?" Emmett said moving more to Rosalie's side, sensing Elijah's growing hostility.

"You don't think William is responsible do you?"

Elijah turned his sights on me, a rough snarl fall from his lips. "William isn't a killer, I thought you of anyone here understood that." He was quickly losing control over his temper. I was beginning to feel the effects of his powers, my head began to send painful pulses down through my body.

I couldn't help but wince at the increasing pain, my hands going up to hold onto my head. The pain was overwhelming me, to the point that I couldn't speak.

Luckily Esme was quick to jump to my defense. "Elijah, if innocent people are dying we have to look at all our options here, of course Carlisle doesn't believe William is to blame."

At her words, Elijah's powers slowly receded from me, offering me freedom from his torturous powers. He appeared to look guilty as he turned away from us.

"I'm sorry, I've been struggling to contain my emotions lately." He grumbled, letting out a long breath. "Something like this happened before, William had vanished one night, the following months there was a string of killings, all vampire attacks."

"Did you ever find out what happened?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes, William returned home with a newborn; a young woman. He had taken her away to learn control over herself before introducing her to the family and letting her stay with us. He didn't want her lack of control to put the rest of us in danger. So he stayed away until she learned control." He explained with a brooding look.

"So, does that mean that you think William is out trying to teach a newborn our ways?" I concluded.

"If that's the case, he isn't doing a good job of it." Rose snorted. "The body count is reaching into the double digits."

Elijah snapped his eyes on her with an icy look. "No, this woman he brought back home with him, she never fully adopted our lifestyle. And when she began to get obsessed with William things went sour."

Rose gave him a skeptical look. "What do you mean…. Obsessed?"

"She was in love with him and when he didn't return those feelings she went out and began a murderous hunting spree." Elijah rolled his eyes, leaning back against the wall behind him. "But that was years ago and apparently the Volturi found her and ended her life."

"So what does any of this have to do with the killing of innocent people now?"

"William had a feeling that the Volturi didn't actually kill the woman. He believed that the woman's powers were too powerful for Aro to destroy." Elijah explained, eyeing each of us with a serious look.

"What kind of gift did she have?" I wondered.

"Well, at the time William was helping her develop her powers, but she could influence the human body, cause hair to grow, skin to heal. Things in that nature."

"Aro would likely refuse to pass up on a gift like that." Rose said shaking her head.

"So that means that it's possible that this woman is alive and is out there killing innocent humans again?" Emmet asked with a puzzled look.

"That's what I want to find out." Elijah muttered. "If this woman is still alive and out there, there is no doubt in my mind that William will be with her."

"Does this woman have a name?"

"Catarina," Elijah sneered, a look of distaste on his face. "She is vile."

"Well, give us a description of her so we can begin hunting for her." I said, looking to each of the others. "We can start tonight. Before anyone else gets hurt."

"Abnormally tall and curly black hair, most likely sporting blood red eyes." Elijah said with a shrug. "Just do me a favor and don't mention any of this to Abraham and the others."

"Hiding things from your family, doesn't sound like you." Rose pointed a smirk in his direction.

Elijah gave her a scowl in response. "If Catarina sees any of them she will run and we will never find her. But she has never seen any of you. You will be able to get close to her. If you find her, you will find William."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Edward spoke up, taking an aggressive step forward. "What about Bella? Now that Charlie is gone…?"

Elijah glared at him. "I don't believe that concerns you."

"While Catarina is in the area, Bella should be as far away from here as possible." He continued.

"She is returning to Arizona, to her mother." Elijah snapped at him, his eyes where so dark. "She will be far away from here…"


End file.
